Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the development of temporary housing for itinerant construction workers and the attitudes of people involved as well as entrepreneurs practices in developing such housing. The sample of the study is West Con Co., Ltd.s temporary houses. Data were collected from 1985 to 2006, which could be divided into three stages. In the first two stages, wooden structures were used for construction, whereas in the last stage, steel structures were used. In addition, the houses, all built from galvanized iron, could be classified into five forms: 1) one-storey row houses, 2) two rows of one-storey houses with contact rears, 3) two-storey row houses, 4) two rows of two-storey houses with contact rears, and 5) two rows of two-storey semi-fabricated houses with contact rears. A further analysis of the development of West Cons temporary housing revealed that during the first stage, the company did not control its construction to conform to Ministry of Public Health Orders no. 6/1995 and 7/1995. However, from the second stage onwards, compliance became its practice. Similarly, this pattern of development was also found when West Cons temporary houses were analyzed in relation to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare orders. Second, the most important factor affecting West Cons temporary housing management was the size of land available as this governed its layout plan and the positioning of house directions as well as the arrangement of areas for recreational activities. From the second stage onwards, the company was so constrained by this limitation that it could not follow architectural principles fully. On the other hand, the constructions of temporary houses showed better development. For example, the use of semi-fabricated steel structures and plywood in combination with cement increased the durability of the houses and reduced damage caused by disassembling for reuse. Also, the drainage system and toilets demonstrated improvements. Third, in terms of the forms of construction, although the traditional two-storey houses built from galvanized iron were less costly than the semi-fabricated houses, the former could be reused only 1 to 1.5 times while the latter could be reused at least four times. As regards the attitudes of the people involved, the construction workers said that the semi-fabricated houses were better than the traditional two-storey houses; the subcontractors said that the semi-fabricated houses were quick to build, durable, easy to disassemble, and efficient for reuse; the foremen said that despite their higher construction costs, the semi-fabricated houses were cost-efficient in the long run; the entrepreneurs said that although more costly than the traditional houses, the semi-fabricated houses were more durable, more cost-efficient in the long run, quicker to build and disassemble, and less damaged during disassembling. The following suggestions were made. First, better-quality construction materials should be used. Second, the pre-fabricated house, the container house, or the box system may be an efficient option. Finally, a permanent house may be built for all the staff of the company.