ARCHITECTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL HOUSING IN LAS PIEDRAS, CHONE, ECUADOR
Keywords:
environmental performance; functional assessment; habitability; rural habitat; social housingAbstract
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/yc.v10i19.1003
Abstract
Social housing in rural areas must respond not only to the need for shelter but also to habitability, functionality, and environmental performance requirements that reflect the local context and residents’ needs. This study aimed to analyze the environmental, functional, and habitability conditions of 11 social housing units in the Las Piedras sector, Eloy Alfaro parish, Chone canton, Ecuador, using environmental, anthropometric-functional, and regulatory assessment criteria complemented by residents’ perceptions. A mixed-methods study with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and a descriptive-analytical scope was conducted. Three evaluation forms were applied: one based on LEED environmental criteria; another on Fonseca’s anthropometric and functional criteria; and a third based on Ecuadorian regulatory standards for habitability and accessibility. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the principal residents of the dwellings. The environmental assessment yielded scores ranging from 9 to 18 points, with an average of 14.91 points, used exclusively for comparative purposes among the dwellings. The anthropometric and functional assessment mainly identified constraints in the dimensions of interior spaces, while only 3 of the 11 dwellings reached the considered minimum floor area of 49 m², and only 2 originally included a designated laundry and drying area. The interviews revealed problems related to insufficient space, dampness, construction deficiencies, and subsequent modifications to the dwellings. It is concluded that, although the units studied provide the basic residential spaces, they present environmental, functional, and habitability limitations, highlighting the importance of incorporating design criteria adapted to the rural context and residents’ needs.
Keywords: environmental performance; functional assessment; habitability; rural habitat; social housing.
Downloads
References
Delgado-Gutiérrez, E., Rubio-Bellido, C., & Canivell, J. (2025). Thermal comfort in social housing in Ecuador: Do free-running buildings work in current and future climates? Buildings, 15(12), 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15122018
Elsayed, M., Pelsmakers, S., Pistore, L., Castaño-Rosa, R., & Romagnoni, P. (2023). Post-occupancy evaluation in residential buildings: A systematic literature review of current practices in the EU. Building and Environment, 236, 110307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110307
Fonseca, X. (2002). Las medidas de una casa: Antropometría de la vivienda. Editorial Pax México. https://www4.quito.gob.ec/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=45147
Hidalgo, R., & Galban, L. (2025). Vernacular architecture in urban and rural dwellings in Manabí, Ecuador: A journey through its historical evolution. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 46(2), 460209. https://doi.org/10.34044/j.kjss.2025.46.2.09
Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización. (2016). NTE INEN 2247:2016. Accesibilidad de las personas al medio físico. Edificaciones. Corredores y pasillos. Características generales (Primera revisión). INEN. https://es.scribd.com/document/336414272/nte-inen-2247-1
Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización. (2018). NTE INEN 2309:2018. Accesibilidad de las personas al medio físico. Puertas. Requisitos (Primera revisión). INEN. https://www.riadis.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Norma-INEN-2309-PUERTAS.pdf
Manzaba, G., Valencia, R., & Romero, M. (2025). Environmental and thermal impact of materials in social housing by climate region in Ecuador. Novasinergia, 8(2), 178–202. https://doi.org/10.37135/ns.01.16.10
Mendoza-Vélez, E., & Ortega-Bravo, B. (2022). Estudio de la habitabilidad en la vivienda de interés social en la provincia de Manabí. Revista Científica INGENIAR: Ingeniería, Tecnología e Investigación, 5(9 Ed. esp.), 2–22. https://doi.org/10.46296/ig.v5i9edespfeb.0043
Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda. (2018). Lineamientos mínimos para revisión y validación de tipologías de vivienda: Programa Casa para Todos. Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda. https://www.habitatyvivienda.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2018/01/Lineamientos-m%C3%ADnimos-para-revisi%C3%B3n-y-validaci%C3%B3n-de-tipolog%C3%ADas-de-vivienda-Programa-Casa-para-Todos-V2.pdf
Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda. (2019). Norma Ecuatoriana de la Construcción: NEC-HS-AU. Accesibilidad universal. Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda. https://www.habitatyvivienda.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2019/05/NEC-HS-AU-Accesibilidad-Universal.pdf
Quesada-Molina, F., & Astudillo-Cordero, S. (2023). Indoor environmental quality assessment model (IEQ) for houses. Sustainability, 15(2), 1276. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021276
Rocha-Tamayo, A., García-Troncoso, N., Josa, I., & de la Fuente, A. (2025). Sustainability-based comparison of local bahareque and conventional reinforced concrete structural system for social housing construction. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 7, 1634678. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2025.1634678
United States Green Building Council. (2019). LEED v4: Homes design and construction. U.S. Green Building Council. https://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/LEED%20v4%20Homes_07.25.19_current.pdf
Xie, J., Li, H., Li, C., Zhang, J., & Luo, M. (2023). Influence of residential indoor environment on quality of life in China. Building and Environment, 232, 110068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110068
Zamora-Sánchez, D., Alcívar-Castro, J., & Pinargote-Pico, L. (2026). Condiciones de habitabilidad de las viviendas rurales de Manabí, Ecuador. Revista de Arquitectura (Bogotá), 28(1), 95–118. https://doi.org/10.14718/RevArq.2026.28.6326
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2026 REVISTA CIENTÍFICA MULTIDISCIPLINARIA ARBITRADA YACHASUN - ISSN: 2697-3456
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
