Analysis of the Difference Between Two Approaches to Assessing Housing and Community Standards

This comparative study on housing and community comfortable living performance standards is a part of a participatory research conducted to meet the needs addressed by the Thai National Housing Authority to improve existing housing and community standards. The research team conducted a case study of the Rim Khwae Awm Community in Samut Songkhram Province. This community had been identified as a model of comfortable living. This article presents the results of an analysis of comfortable living standards derived from a review of related literature and standards derived from the participatory process with the community case study. This research found that the standards for comfortable living from the literature review gave priority to the physical aspect and factors which could be measured using scientific methods. By contrast, the community participatory standards gave priority to a holistic combination of the local ecology, environment, society, economy, and application of local wisdom.