State's housing project designs must consider basic dignity

Dignity is the new buzzword in Kenya. Politicians especially love to use it when discussing the affordable housing projects.

But a dignified home is more than just a roof and walls. People who are moving into affordable houses built by the government may find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

Cramped rooms, kitchens where cooking means bending and squeezing between appliances, and bedrooms that are big enough for a bed and nothing else.

On paper, these things sound like small inconveniences. On the ground, they have a great impact on the joy and quality of life.

Starting with the bedroom, if you have just enough space to fit a 4 x 5 bed but not much else, you’ll feel closeted.

You will struggle to open your wardrobe door or add a nightstand. In the kitchen, if the counters and sink areas are too close, you will struggle to move. I’ve seen projects where the counter is lower than the height of the average adult woman – cooking was a major daily strain.

When it comes to ventilation, the stakes are higher. Insufficient ventilation means that kids grow up in airless and sometimes damp rooms.

Poor ventilation is closely linked to asthma and frequent chest infections among children. According to standards, rooms should have at least two windows. 

On window sizes, a window the size of a stretched-out arm span can mean the difference between a dark cave and a sunlit home where occupants don’t rely on fluorescent lights day and night.

Liveable design isn’t unaffordable. Forget the bells and whistles, good interior design first and foremost syncs with the human anatomy and habits.

Consider the tiptoe height needed to open a cupboard for an average Kenyan adult or the walking area between the bed and closet.

If adults have to climb on stools to reach salt or flour, dignity is stripped away. And when the living room feels small and crammed like a matatu, the quality of life goes through the window.

I’ve seen children do homework on the floor because there’s no space for a desk, their backs hunched over in poor light.

Therefore, housing should be more than just economics. It should be about human dignity and wellness. Beyond four walls and a roof, there are a few irreducible minimums Kenyans deserve to see implemented across all public housing projects:

Affordable family homes should be soundproof. Without soundproofing, every neighbour’s quarrel or adult conversation in an adjacent room is audible to the children. Based on African culture, the element of respect is lost when there’s little acoustic privacy between children and parents. 

Many paints contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs persist in the air within the home even long after the paint has dried, and can cause respiratory problems, liver failure, and cancer. Beyond the use of low VOC paints, Kenya’s affordable homes should be designed to anticipate and address slips and falls, especially among children and senior occupants.

All families eventually grow –parents need to place a nursery bed somewhere in the bedroom, and kids need study corners.

A bedroom or living room with extra wall space can anticipate and meet these needs. While developers often focus on square meters, what families need is freedom in how they use the space. Flexibility in design leads to stability for the family.

Connection to nature

Affordable housing should nurture the mind and body. Even the smallest connections to the outdoors can yield enormous benefits for Kenyans in the projects.

A mini balcony with a corner for potted plants or a direct sky view through strategic window placement can restore well-being and reduce stress for Kenyans. Direct access to natural light, air, or greenery lifts mood and reduces blood pressure.

Kenya’s affordable housing project is an opportunity to change more than just our skylines. With strategic design customised to the daily lives of Kenyans, we can create homes and communities where families grow and thrive.

But if the interiors are treated as leftovers and not part of the core design, these homes will be dwellings of misery.

- The writer is, CEO, Prime House Interiors