Methodology to determine housing characteristics in less developed areas in developing countries: A case study of Quetta, Pakistan

The province of Balochistan is one of the least developed areas of Pakistan, facing problems of energy shortage and rapid urbanization. On the other side the region has great potential for renewable energy sources and the development of sustainable housing concepts. However, a first barrier is the lack of data on the existing housing stock. This paper will discuss the methodology and results of collecting housing data in this context for Quetta city. Considering unsatisfactory law and order situation, a survey was conducted to identify safe areas for housing survey. More areas were included to make the survey more representative. In total 215 houses in 32 residential areas were then surveyed. It is found that housing in Quetta can be divided in 3 main types; i.e. R.C.C frame, brick masonry and sundried bricks and that the energy consumption is mainly determined by area of the house and household size.