In rural habitat, homestead zoning plays an important role in ensuring proper ventilation and hygiene. The zoning dictates, the ventilated air quality, presence of sunlight for disinfection, easy access to everywhere for all the members, most importantly, relationship with the non- human community (Plants, animal, microorganism) surround the human community. It has both active and passive impact on health and hygiene practices of the residents. Like any other architectural component, Zoning and functional layout is different in different context, which depends on the geographical situation and socio-cultural and economical state of the community.
To understand the local zoning practice in Pekua, we documented and drawn plans of functional layout. Drainage pathways, and human circulation for understanding accessibility to different areas and how the zoning is helping maintaining or deteriorating homestead cleanliness.
General architectural functions in the homesteads:
Indoor living space
- Bedroom
- Dinning space
- Guest space
Semi-Outdoor living space:
- Veranda along the Indoor living spaces
Outdoor living space
- Common courtyard
Waterbodies
- Usable water source
- Drain pit
Sources of wet waste:
- Kitchen
- Domestic Livestock shed
- Toilet
- Bathing space
Homestead 1:
Unhygienic practices:
In the first homestead we visited, had a pond at the entrance. The homestead accommodates 2 families, of brothers. 7 members in total. Water-based waste from Kitchen and Cowshed, Drains to the pond situated at the entrance.
The pond works both as a pit to store the waste water from the kitchen, toilet and Cowshed, and also using it for cleaning crockeries, or clothes. The pond is surrounded by Taro plants, which the families believe that purify the waste in the water.
Good practice:
The cowshed is intentionally situated far from the kitchen, which helps keeping the kitchen clean.
Homestead 2:
Unhygienic practices:
This Homestead had no pond in their compound, but there were two outside the homestead. The entrance starts with chicken coop. The kitchen is situated right next to the Coop and the Cowshed. The waste drains to the pond adjacent. The toilet and bathing space is at the rear side of the homestead. Though they have trouble reaching there, especially for elder members, Pregnant female members and children of the family, it’s zoned that way because of possible odor. The waste from the Cowshed is also dumped in the pond. During heavy rain, the waste water from the coop and share slow into the kitchen easily, and also children are cleaned after sanitation activities in their semi outdoor spaces during the rain.
Good practice:
The courtyard is south facing, which is causes optimum airflow and sunlight in all the living spaces. Windows and other ventilators are enough to keep the living indoors well lit and comfortable.
Homestead 3:
Unhygienic practices:
This homestead is situated on low land next to an elevated pedestrian road. The front courtyard is submerged in drainage water from toilet. This homestead accommodates 2 families, 9 members in total. The kitchen is open and next to the toilet and wash area.
One toilet on stilt structure on the other side of the road is usually used by the men in the family, whereas, the female and children use the open toilet inside the boundary for privacy.
The kitchen courtyard usually collects waste water from the cowshed from the periphery drain of the homestead and also from the internal toilet.
As the homestead is surrounded by water bodies (Lake and pond from the next homestead) ducks from the surrounding households often visit the drainage water.
In local practice, Sanitation services in household level are very poor due to lack of hygiene awareness. And also in homestead, location of kitchen, toilets, Coops or animal shades and drainage pathways are often not separated according to wet and dry zone, which makes it difficult to maintain cleanliness for the family members.
In some homestead, courtyards are located next to newly build roads which is causing external dirt and dust in the kitchen adjacent. To prevent that, houses are being made with minimum openings, resulting in inadequate ventilation and sunlight, not enough to disinfect interior spaces specially Kitchen.
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