ECO-HAVEN HEIGHTS: Innovating green luxury in mixed-use apartment design

Abstract

The issue of housing in Lahore, Pakistan is a complex and pressing challenge. Lahore is the second-largest city in the country and is experiencing rapid urbanization, which has put significant strain on its housing infrastructure not only that but due to the increase in urban sprawl, green areas, birds, open spaces and air quality are depleting which is also affecting the environment. Vertical living, also known as high-rise living or vertical urbanism, can be an effective solution for addressing Pakistan's housing problem caused by country's rapid population growth, which will not only help in stopping the urban sprawl but also bring up challenges as to how these vertical buildings can be useful in making the environment and livability better. The current residential skyline of Lahore shows that detached housing is more common than vertical/apartment housing. The issue of urban housing is seen to be solved via vertical growth that can accommodate a large number of people in a smaller area while maintaining sustainable resource consumption and by making it a mixed-use development, residents can enjoy the convenience of having essential amenities within walking distance. This approach can reduce the strain on transportation infrastructure and enhance the overall livability of the vertical communities that can also cater to the association with green and open areas such as courtyards that the Punjabi people have with detached living(land) where biodiversity is also preferred through sustainable and green techniques. However, considering the amenities of flats, studies are bringing up issues like privacy, noise distribution, and ventilation. The most significant factors that affect how residents of Lahore perceive vertical/apartment housing are privacy, openness, green spaces, space sizes, safety, and security. The primary goal of the thesis will be to assess dwellers' satisfaction not only through living standards but also the natural environment such as greenery and biodiversity and favorability of vertical living while considering the provision of basic facilities within that space. In order to avoid the sense of crowdedness that is associated with vertical growth due to shared space and proximity, adolescents living in apartments will also be considered as it prefers horizontal housing to vertical living¬.