The quality of life of people depends to a great extent on the quality of
housing and related facilities. It is the physical environment in which one
lives and works and spends greater portion of one's life while performing
multiple roles. Besides meeting the basic human needs of shelter housing also
provides direct or indirect employment to several people. It has social and
psychological importance along with an economic importance. It has multiplier
effect on the economy by first eliciting saving and then generating demand for a
large number of items such as building materials, household equipment, etc. The
papers presented in this book cover a wide