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ThinkInfrastructure:startwithawallAstep-by-steplowcosthousingapproach

AthinaStefani1,Dipl.-Ing.NicoleBaron2,Prof.Dr.-Ing.DirkDonath3,Dipl.-Ing.LukasVeltruský4

1Bauhaus-UniversityWeimar,BelvedererAllee1,athina.stefani@uni-weimar.de2Bauhaus-UniversityWeimar,BelvedererAllee1,nicole.baroni@uni-weimar.de3Bauhaus-UniversityWeimar,BelvedererAllee1,dirk.donath@uni-weimar.de

4Bauhaus-UniversityWeimar,BelvedererAllee1,lukas.veltrusky@uni-weimar.de

ABSTRACT

Housingisoneofthebasicnecessitiesforhumansurvival.Theunpredictablenatureofeconomicdevelopmentandrapidpopulationgrowthofmostoftheemergingcountriesmakeseffectiveandefficienthousingdeliverydifficultforgovernments,leavingtherightoftheirresidentstohousingunsatisfied.Creatingaffordablelivingspacesisseenasapoliticalandeconomicissue,leadingtodiscussionsoneconomicmeasurestorelieveit,buttherearesolutionsofferedbyarchitectsandurbanplanners,thattakefactorssuchasconstruction,density,landuse,infrastructureintoaccount.Inthispaper,theauthorsintroducealow-costapproachtohousinginthecontextofdevelopingcountries,takingEthiopiaasacasestudy,withthegoalofencouragingdiversity,promotinglocalmaterialsandmanufacturingaswellaskeepingconstructionandmaintenancecostslow.Astartingpointfortheimplementationofalow-costhousingconcept,isthevastcapacityofsluminhabitants

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toprovidethemselveswiththeirdwellingspacewithintheformalframeworksofsociety.Themainelementof the concept proposed, is a “lifelinewall” containing all basic amenities necessary for amodern livingstandard(waterandwastewater,aswellaselectricity).Housesaresimplypluggedintothewallandcanbeexpandedincrementally.Theapproachofthe“lifelinewall”representsaninnovativeandsolution-orientedadvanceatthequestions:Howcananarchitecturalapproachthatintegratesinfrastructurecontributetotheimplementationofadaptiveandlow-costhousingindevelopingcountries?Whatimpactdolocalmaterials,appropriate technologies, and participation have and how can one incorporate these into a planningmethodology?

KEYWORDS

slumupgrading,low-costhousing,infrastructure,participation,Ethiopia

AUTHORBIOGRAPHY:AthinaStefaniwasborninGreeceandstudiedarchitectureandcityplanninginEnglandandGermany.NicoleBaronhasworkedinGermanyandSwitzerlandasanarchitectandiscurrentlylecturerandPHDstudentatBauhaus-UniversityWeimar.DirkDonathisaGermanarchitectandprofessorforInformaticsinArchitectureintheBauhaus-UniversityinWeimarandattheEthiopianInstituteofArchitecture,BuildingConstructionandCityDevelopmentinAddisAbaba.LukasVeltruskyisagermanandswisseducatedarchitect,exhibitiondesignerandresearcher.

Introduction

Nowadays,weliveinthemostrapidandintenseurbanizationperiodintheworld’shistory.Overhalfoftheworld’spopulationisalreadyurbananditisanticipatedthatuptotwo-thirdswillliveinurbanareasby20501.EthiopiaisoneoftheleasturbanizedcountriesinAfricawithaconstantlyincreasingnumberofpeoplelivingincities.Thisurbanizationrate,notinthesametrackwiththeeconomicgrowthofthecountryisleadingtotheincreaseofthenumberofurbanpoor.Thisurbanizationofpovertyhasasaresultthesquattingoflandincitiesandtheiroutskirts2.Theurbanslumpopulationisdoubledevery15yearswhatresultstopoorlivingconditionsandthesocialandspatialchallengesposedbythese.LiteraturediffersontheamountofslumdwellersresidingintheneighborhoodsofAddisAbaba.Accordingtotheavailableliteraturebetween70and100percentofurbanneighborhoodsinAddisAbabaarecharacterizedbythelackofbasicamenities,suchasroads,electricity,water,sewagesystemandadequatespace3.Thehousesintheseareoftenconstructedwithlowqualitymaterialsandatatearingbuildingspeed,oftenovernight-socalledmoonshinehouses.Theseself-organizeddwellingsexpressthetremendouspotentialoftheirinhabitantsregardingconstructionskills,knowledgeoflocalmaterialsandbuildingtechniques.Neverthelesslifequalityinthesesquattersettlementsislow.Byoverlookingbuildingstandards,rulesandregulations,safetyandhealthofpeoplelivinginthesehousesisputindanger.Thereisneedforaplanningstrategythatcanmeetinaneffectivewaythechallengesposedbysuchanarchitecturebornofnecessity.

Existingsolutions

Therearedifferentapproachestoaddressingtheproblemofinformalsettlements.Inordertocopewithinformality,poorqualityofexistinggovernmentownedrentalhousingstock-socalledkebelehouses-andthehousingdeficitposedbytheurbanexpansion,theEthiopiangovernmentlaunchesin2006theIntegratedHousingDevelopmentProgram(IHDP)accordingtowhich,allinformalsettlementsaretobedemolishedwithintenyearsandEthiopiaistoheadforamiddle-incomestatusby2025.TheIHDPusesthecondominiumtypology-mostlyintheperipheryofthecity-multistorydwellingsinwhichthereisdistinguishableownershipofsingleunitsandsharedownershipofcommunalareas.Thefreeholdistheradicalapproachofthisprogramincomparisontokebelehouses,butthesocialconnectionbetweenthehouseholdsincondominiumsisfragmentedcomparedtoopenneighborhoods.Since2013adepositisrequiredinordertoenterthecomputerlotterysystem-throughwhichthehousingunitsareallocated-leadingtotheexclusionofthelow-incomepopulationgroupthatcannotevenpaythecostsforpublicservices,suchaswater,electricityorgarbage

1accordingtoWorldUrbanizationProspects:The2014Revision.2AccordingtoUNReportAddisAbabaUrbanProfile20083SeeFormalizationandinformalizationprocessesinurbanEthiopia:incorporatinginformality2010

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removal.Thecostsarenottheonlyaspectofthismodusoperandithatmakeithardforlow-incomepeopletoidentifywithit.Theownerscannotexpandaccordingtotheirneeds,havingtoadjusttoastrictbuildingtypologyanditisoftenhardtomakealivingfromtheeconomicactivitiesintheareaduetoevictionandrandomhousingallocation.Itisclearthatthereisstillneedforacomprehensiveurbanhousingdevelopmentplanningtoolinthecountry.

Needforanalternativeapproach

Suchaplanningtoolshouldtakethreeimportantaspectsintoconsideration:infrastructure,localmaterialsandparticipationbykeepingthecostslowatthesametime.Infrastructure,heremainlyreferringtosanitationandelectricity,isoneofthemainthingsthatslumdwellerscannotprovidethemselveswithandwhatsignificantlydeteriorateslifeconditionswhenmissing.Localmaterialsareeasilyavailableatlittleornocostandpeoplearemostlyfamiliarwiththeappropriatebuildingtechnologiesrequiredwhenworkingwithindigenousresources.Materialssuchasnaturalstone,loambricksandmudconstructionareidealfortheclimaticconditionsofthecountryandthussustainableandresilient.Participationcanenhancetheeffectivityofslumupgradingprojects,createasenseofindividualresponsibilityoverone’sownspaceandstrengthencommunitytiesbyengagingpeopleincommonactivities.Participationofinhabitantsduringthebuildingprocedureisaneducationalexperiencethatcanprovideunskilledworkerswithvocationaltraining.Theapproachneededshouldactasanurbanframework,bydiscouraginginfinitehorizontaldevelopment-commonpracticeforslumdwellersoriginatingfromlackoftechnicalknow-howanduseofappropriatematerials-andreconstructingpublicspaces.Buthowisitevenpossibletoencouragesuchdiversitybykeepingfinancialcostslow?Theself-promotionalattitudethatthelow-incomepartofthepopulationhasadoptedbydevelopingtheirowndwellingspaceisanimportantcontributiontolow-costarchitecture.Peoplealreadyhavetheabilitytoimplementtraditionalbuildingtechniquesanduseindigenousresources,theyshouldbeenabledtodosowithintheformalframeworkofsociety.Astartingpointfortheimplementationofsuchahousingprojectneededcouldbethefundamentalelementofeveryprospectivehouse,awall.

TheLifelineWall

A“lifelinewall”thatcontainsthenecessaryinfrastructure:water,wastewaterandelectricityisbothanarchitecturalelementandanurbantool.Asanarchitecturalelementitisthefirstwallofafuturehouse,providingbothstructureandframingspace.Itsupportstheweightofprospectivefloorsandroofsandsignifiesthebordersofeveryproperty.Asanurbantoolthe“lifelinewall”framespublicspace,directspedestrianflowandformsthefacadeofastreet.Dwellingscanplugintoitovertime,temporaryshelters,tentsandvendortablesaredockingintoit.Incrementalgrowthcanfillthespace,whileverticaldensityisencouraged.Butwouldn’tjustanywallasaformoficonicarchitecturebeenoughtoinitiateurbanupgrading?Whyisintegratedinfrastructuresuchanimportantpartofthisapproach?

Failuretoprovidebasicservicesforacontemporarylivingstandard,suchassanitationleadstoanincreaseinhealthdeteriorationandsocialunrest.Amainreasonforanunsuccessfulseweragesystemisthemagnificationinhousingdensityandresultinghigherlevelsofwaterconsumption.The“lifelinewall”ensuresthatthereiscontrolleddensityintheurbanlayoutandthatsufficientplotareastoaccommodatetheinfiltrationsystem,thusallowingasatisfactoryleveloftheservice.Alsosewernetworksareoftendamagedbytheexposureofthepipesduetosoilerosion.Actingasacaseforthesewerpipes,the“lifelinewall”guaranteesthattheywouldnotbeaffectedbyclimaticfactors,suchaserosionorflood.Thewallalsoreducesconnectioncoststhatwouldappearinaconventionalseweragesystem.Costsareminimizedbyincorporatingtheseweragesysteminthe“lifelinewall”astheownersdonothavetoconnecttheirappliancestoacollectorsewerdownthemainhighway,acommonpracticethathidesadditionalcosts.Sonotonlythereislittleimposedloading,butareductionofasmuchas50%inpipelengthispossible.4Sincetheresponsibilityforthemaintenanceofthe“lifelinewall”canbetransferredtotheresidents,reductionsincapitalandoperationalcostsareconsiderable.ThetemperaturesinEthiopiaallowplumbingtobeinstalledinthewallwithoutcomplications.Everyhousecan

4.CompareSustainableSewerage:Guidelinesforcommunityschemes:thecloserthesewersystem’soutfallistothepropertiesserved,thecheaperthesystemwillbe.

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haveaccesstofreshwaterandvendorsandvisitorsareprofitingfromthepublicwatertabs.

Upgradingofexistingneighborhoodsintheinnercitiescanbelikethis:initialmeetingtoprovideinformationofthehousingupgradingtothelocalresidents,detailedlayout,locationofseweraccesspoints,locationofthe“lifelinewall”,implementationschedules,detailedcosts,maintenanceresponsibilitiesandgroupcontributionstotheconstructioncostaretobediscussedalongwithateamoflocalplanners.Whenapartisbuilt,dwellerscanstartconnectingtheirhouses.Bybuildingthe“lifelinewall”undersupervisionconstructiontechniquesarelearnedandknowledgeofmaterialsisspread.The“lifelinewall”isbuiltasitgoes,upgradingtheroadnetworksanddirectingpedestrianflow.Benches,openings,flowerpotsareextrudingoutofthe“lifelinewall”,itisservingasurbanfurniture.Microbusinessesaredockingintoitandtradeisflourishing.Thewalkabilityofthe“lifelinewall”suggestsanewwayofexperiencingandunderstandingpublicspace.Ofcourse,alltheseideasofmutualaid,self-helpconstruction,gradualhouseupgrading,progressivedevelopmentthatthe“lifelinewall”encourages,arenotnew.Theyarederivedfromthepracticesoftheslumdwellers.

Conclusion

Thecomplexanddiversechallengespresentedbyinformalsettlementsindicatetheneedforasupportstrategyfortheslumdwellers.Ratherthanofferingpeopleready-madesolutionstovitallyupgradetheirsettlements,thereistimeforenhancingtheiractiveparticipationinplanningandconstructingadequatehousingandinafurtherstep,theirlives.The“lifelinewall”emergesasaplayground,notonlyforplannersandarchitects,butallowslow-incomepeopletotakecontroloftheirlivesandimprovetheircurrentsituation.Intheenditisnotonlytheimageofthecitythatcanchange,butthesenseofhomeisbecomingsomethingsolidfortheslumdwellers.Yes,wallscanconnect.

Acknowledgement

TheauthorsthankLoïcBernetandFranziskaBertholdforconceptualizinganddesigningtheLifelineWall,ithasbeenagreatjourneysofar!AlsoourgratitudegoestoSarahAbdulhafizYusuf,withherhelpandsupportweallwentonestepfurther.

ReferencesUNDepartmentofEconomicandsocialAffairs:WorldUrbanizationProspects:The2014RevisionUNHabitat:AddisAbabaUrbanProfile2008Fransen,Jan;Samson,Kassahun;VanDijk,MeinePieter:FormalizationandInformalizationProcessesinUrbanEthiopia:IncorporatingInformality,NL:2010Reed,RA:SustainableSewerage:Guidelinesforcommunityschemes,UK:1995GraphicWork,Images

AllillustrationsbyAthinaStefani2015-2016.

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