The increasing complexity of homes, the use of innovative materials and technologies,rnand the increased population in urban areas of Ethiopia have introduced many challengesrnto the building industry and design profession as a whole. These challenges call for therndevelopment and continual improvement of efficient engineering methods for housingrnapplications.rnThe origin of this thesis lies in the minimization of cost by changing the structural layoutrnconfiguration for housing project 40/60. In doing so, it compliments current designrnpractices and building code requirements.rnThe typical floor slab system is divided into panels that are bounded by beams in allrnsides having a definite length and width. Each panel is divided into smaller segments.rnThese smaller segments are added on each side of the spans in x and y directions. Hence,rna number of rectangular panels can be formed and used as a variable.rnA C++ program is written to analyze and select the optimal panel dimensions. Thesernoptimal panels are rearranged and used as a floor slab. After conducting an analysis,rndesign and cost comparison, it is able to design a building which is more cost effective.rnThe knowledge gained from investigation and diagnosis benefits the wider communityrnthrough economy.rnThis thesis proposes a basis for minimizing the cost of housing project 40/60. Hence, itrnmainly focuses on programming, analytical and theoretical problem formulation.