No abstract

A well-lit learning space is crucial to ensure the comfort of its occupants, especially for an architecture student who spends long hours in a studio to design, sketch, draw and build prototypes. This paper presents the results from a study conducted on the illuminance level of the architecture studios in the city campus of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Malaysia that were once laboratories. Measurements had been done using the Lux meter. Illuminance contours were generated using SigmaPlot and Dialux software for all the five rooms and compared with the requirements stipulated in the Malaysian Standard, Australia/New Zealand Standard and Illumination Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) standard for a room with similar function. A survey was also conducted among undergraduate architecture students who were using the studios daily to gauge their perception on the lighting condition and comfort level. The outcome of this study can be considered for future architecture studio lighting design to improve the students’ learning experience.

Adequate comfortable shelter is a significant human rights and needs. In Kuala Lumpur, high demand of affordable quality housing for urban poor has yet to be fulfilled. In order to meet demand for adequate affordable housing for low-income households, the government has introduced numerous housing programs. However, anecdotal evidences suggest that most of this typical type of affordable housing may have design deficiency that could affect occupants’ housing satisfaction. This paper critically reviews on housing policy, typology and design issues for low-income housing in the context of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This paper argues that there is a direct relationship between housing design and occupants’ satisfaction. Based on the review, it can be recommended that housing design for low-income people should consider factors such as safety, local climate, privacy, sufficient space, layout planning, culture and social integration. Implications for the design of future housing for low income people are raised and the need for the improvement of the ongoing research is identified.