Healthy and Comfortable Dwellings for the Low-Income Settlements in Surakarta

Technology for the low-income group of people should be as simple as their daily life. Giving recommendations for simple dwelling design and changing people’s behaviour for a better living are the concerns of this research. A field-survey was conducted in November-December 2010 involving 426 respondents from four low-income kampongs in Surakarta Indonesia which has a tropical hot-humid climate. Thermal environment and indoor air pollutants was measured momentarily indoor and outdoor. The measured air temperatures in the field-survey were between 29.6 to 39.6°C. During the survey, respondents were interviewed and observations were done to obtain data of the people condition, thermal sensation and health status, as well as information about the condition of inhabitants’ dwellings. Data of the inhabitants’ health profile of Surakarta was obtained from the Health Department of Surakarta. The main severe illnesses found in Surakarta were asthma and other respiratory diseases. Statistical analysis were done using Binary Logistic, Cramer’s V, Spearman’s rho and Pearson Chi-Square to examine the association between variables of indoor air quality and thermal parameters with the health of the inhabitants and thermal comfort. Research found that cooking fuels and the kitchen design influence the health of the people. The amount of ventilation, vegetation, orientation of dwelling and the clothing adaptation are important to increase the health and thermal comfort for the low-income group of people. Recommendations are given in this paper. Photos of the existing dwellings are used as examples to be easily understood by the people for improving the thermal comfort and air quality in the dwellings. In addition, it is important to encourage inhabitants’ behaviours which can increase their feeling of comfort, health and quality of life.