IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section B

Abstract

Luxury apartments have become a desirable residential option in developing countries of the Global South. While luxury condominiums are typically developed for wealthy residents, they also require a working class to help maintain the housing development, individual residences, and the lifestyle of its residents. Therefore, it is crucial to acknowledge that other occupants, such as workers (consisting of facilities managers, supervisors, electricians, cooks, nannies, and cleaners, among others) interact with this housing and its built environment in particular ways. This paper analyses the diverse lived experiences of workers associated with luxury condominiums in Bengaluru, India. Qualitative research was conducted across five properties between February and May 2023, employing semi-structured interviews with developers and related professionals, residents, and workers. Additionally, observations of the built environment and its daily functions and evaluation of reports, brochures, and websites of luxury condominium properties in Bangalore were conducted. The analysis of narratives collected from the managerial, service and domestic workers reveals several key findings. First, workers find employment opportunities in luxury condominium developments and individual residences, forming two distinct working classes – those with formal contracts through management agencies and those with informal employment dependent on elite households. Second, a blurry social hierarchy exists among full-time, part-time, live-in and live-out domestic co-workers. Third, domestic workers’ social relationships with resident employers are characterised by mutual dependency. By shedding light on the empirical realities of luxury condominiums within the urban society of Bengaluru, this paper offers key insights into the social impacts of these developments and lays a foundation for future research.