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The paper tries to compare the qualitative difference between professional and pragmatic design solutions in self-built houses. Self-built houses are defined here as permanently constructed houses in urban context, generally used as the primary shelter of the users belonging to middle income group, and most likely to be constructed under own informal management and own investment. The study starts with the question why pragmatic solutions seem to be more effective than professional decisions in self-built houses, even though state regulations try to engage architects in housing decisions. This study adopts ethnographic method to find the implicit reasons behind pragmatic decisions during initial as well as different stages of transformations in the houses, and suggests how professional decisions might become more effective when it is molded with the subjective values of users. It also suggests that knowing these values can be one basic way to bring architects closer to these users, and let architects play social as well as professional role in a field which has not been explored much by architectural practitioners throughout architectural history.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance and significance of design strategies to enhance flexibility as an in-built design concept of residential building in developing countries. The study considers potential directions of building design in developing countries to ensure maximum benefits of resource utilization.

The study approaches using the qualitative data collection method, mostly based on interviews of local residents. Layouts of residential buildings that have been renovated for several reasons, such as the changes in family size over the last 30 years, have been studied. The concept of zone and margin, based on the theoretical framework developed by Dutch architect, John Habraken, is compared and tested in residential buildings in the city of Khulna.

This paper shows that people change floor layouts of their buildings over time for different reasons; for example, 29 percent of people change plans in order to accommodate more people, 19 percent in order to initiate new businesses, and 13 percent due to change in family structure. However, these facts impose an excessive monetary burden on the owners to re-adjust layouts even though the building does not have the provision to do so. The paper also reveals that people would welcome new plans for future readjustment during the design and construction phases instead of renovation phases.

This paper highlights flexibility and attempts to justify the possibilities to practice in developing countries. As an inherent design strategy of sustainable development, the concept would consider unknown future changes of building layouts and structures. It would consider the minimum reconstruction, or renovation, costs associated for future adaptation.

Blockchain technology is predicted by many to be the most disruptive technology which might bring accessibility, efficiency and transparency in the financial industry. This study aims to understand the challenges likely to be faced by the Indian banking industry while adopting the technology.

The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore the challenges faced by the banking industry in India. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with senior executives and academicians in the finance and the information technology industries helped gain explorative insights about the challenges.

Thematic analysis suggested a framework comprising five challenges while adopting blockchain technology. These challenges relate to technology, organisation, operation, regulator and environmental context.

The paper contributes to the limited literature on the nascent blockchain technology adoption in banking industry in an emerging country context.