Appendix F
Architectural details and cost breakdown of a dochala design
The design of the house takes into account the likelihood that the structure will be exposed to heavy rain, high velocity wind, and flood, as poor tend to build their home on low value flood-prone land. The basic design of the dochala house (Fig 1, 2, and 3) proposes a one-room house with a rectangular plan and a gabled roof. The owners might create internal partitions to divide the internal space into a sleeping/sitting area and a kitchen. Fig 1: FRONT ELEVATION Fig 2: PLAN Fig 3: ROOF The dimensions are as follows : (All dimensions are in mm, unless otherwise specified) Enclosed floor area = 5,791 X 3,505 Plinth (projecting 30 - 45 cm beyond the walls) = 6,401 X 4,419 Roof (projecting 30 - 45 cm beyond the walls) = 6,705 X 4,419 Height of the plinth above the ground level = 305 Clear height of the rafter support = 2,435 Clear height of the ridge = 3,502 ELEVATION OF DOUBLE SHUTTER WINDOW ELEVATION OF DOUBLE SHUTTER DOOR DETAIL OF DOOR The above dimensions are is based on : 18 nos. (2 bundles) standard 2,440 X 8,128 size CI sheets to form the entire roof 4 nos. reinforced concrete pillars, 133 X 133 section, 3,352 long forming the firm support at the 4 corners of the walls and the gabled roof. Off the main house, an Indian type sanitary latrine of standard design to be installed by the owner in an outhouse. The sanitary latrine consists of : a cover slab 90 cm X 90 cm, 5 cm thick, accommodating a toilet pan with water seal and foot rests. SANITARY LATRINE 5 nos. R.C.C. cylindrical sections, 75 cm diameter, 30 cm high, to form a 150 cm deep well when placed on the top of each other. SANITARY LATRINE : SEC D-D       SCALE 1:20 Detail description of the components Plinth The plinth of the house is a raised floor, usually 30 cm above the ground and is built with compacted earth rich in clay. When competed, it is a dry, mildly hard earth surface, vulnerable to pressure, abrasion and moisture. Routine (bi-weekly) maintenance is required for normal wear and tear caused by stress and strain of live load. Pillars and Structural Frame RCC Pillars Four R.C.C. Pillars are the basic structure of the house. Each pillar is 133 mm X 133 mm square in cross-section and 3352 mm in height. These R.C.C. pillars are made of cement, sand, broken bricks, and reinforced steel. Four 10mm diameter long M.S. bars and 133 x 133 R.C.C. POST       POST SCALE 1:30 Bamboo Posts Six bamboo posts are used as supporting structural member for reducing the span and to make the frame of the house more rigid POSITION OF POST FRAME OF THE TINSHED HOUSE Roofing Material Wooden rafters and purlins, wooden/bamboo tie beams and wall plates are used as roofing frame. Eighteen pieces 8 feet long 26 BWG corrugated iron (CI) sheets are fixed on wooden frames by nails/spikes to construct the shed. ROOF FRAME (RAFTER PURLIN)       SCALE 1:75 Fencing Bamboo mats are used as walls of the house. WALL MATTING       SCALE 1:20 Fixing Wall plates and roofing frame are fixed to R.C.C. pillars by nuts and bolts. Nuts and bolts are placed on top of the pillars before casting is done. This apparently simple way of securing the structure adds immense strength and durability to the house against high velocity wind. SECTION A-A Four Pillar Technology Traditionally, the poor man’s shelter in rural Bangladesh is made out of jutesticks, bamboo, some timber (hardwood is not in abundance in Bangladesh), hay and thatch. Introduction of four concrete pillars may not seem much to a Western observer but it is a great leap forward for the poor rural inhabitants of Bangladesh, and has following advantages : It can be built easily with local resources available in the village Pillars are very hard and durable Concrete pillars are naturally safe from termite attack Deeply sunk in the ground, they withstand flood and high velocity wind very well No regular maintenance Can be installed under all kind of weather conditions Used pillars have a resale value almost equal to the new ones After a disaster, the poor can literally pick up these four pieces and rebuild their home (The authors of this report have prepared this list by talking to Grameen Bank borrowers in various villages who own a "Grameen" house. One woman told us an advantage that is not included in the above list: because the cement pillars are very smooth, children do not attempt to climb on them, while apparently bamboo posts offer some foothold to the climbers). A slight disadvantage of this technology is that it uses cement which is produced in the city. Thus some capital escapes from the rural economy to the urban sector (see Note 1). Cost of Construction Material 4 X RCC Pillars @ 340 taka each 1,360.00 taka 190 X Bamboo rafters @ 2 taka per rafter 380.00 taka Size wood, 9.2 cubic feet @ 250 taka per cubic foot 2,300.00 taka 1 X Door @ 500 taka each 500.00 taka 2 X Windows @ 200 taka each 400.00 taka Bamboo tarza, 509 square feet @ 2.50 taka per sq. foot 1,275.00 taka 18 X CI sheets @ 2,600 taka per bundle of 9 sheets each 5,200.00 taka 22 X CI ridge rafter @ 6 taka per rafter 132.00 taka Nails and Spikes 250.00 taka 1 X Sanitary Latrine 500.00 taka   TOTAL 12,297.00 taka (12,300 taka = $ 307.50)
Notes: In general, the Grameen Bank system endeavours to arrest the flight of capital from villages, and attempts at the reverse flow of capital from the urban sector to the rural sector. It even attempts to move foreign capital to the rural market of Bangladesh - through the export of handloomed cotton ‘Check’ fabric, for example. Back to text