Regeneration of a slum and co-creation
Traditionally slum upgrading projects across the world have involved the demolition of entire neighbourhoods followed by the construction of repetitive social housing blocks or relocation of the communities to places far away from their source of income. Whilst housing improved in the short term, the social consequences have been negative. Urban Nouveau, an architecture and town planning practice based in Stockholm, have taken a different approach on a recent project in India.
Urban Nouveau were invited to develop a strategy for incremental housing for inner-city slums. The pilot project began in Netaji Nagar, a slice of a large inner-city slum called Yerawada, located in Pune, 180 km East of Bombay.
Rather than telling the people in the communities what they had to do or simply clearing the slum, Urban Nouveau chose a participatory design approach, went into the communities and developed a solution in collaboration with the slum dwellers. Understanding the social context allowed the team and the community to develop appropriate solutions
Houses in these urban villages can either be Kacchas or Puccas. Kacchas are temporary structures built of tin metal sheets or bad brickwork and/ or other improvised materials. The roof is often leaking, there is no natural lighting and ventilation, they get very hot, rats can get inside and there is no toilet or water. A typical Kaccha is around 12 sqm with 4-10 people in the household. Puccas are made of reinforced concrete and brick. These normally have a shower, occasionally a toilet and kitchen.
Learning from existing typologies and working with the community, three house prototypes have been developed for the families to choose from. A major aim is to provide structures that can be adapted to individual needs while allowing future incrementation.
House type A is a traditional two storey house over-structured enabling vertical extension. In this way, the family can extend their house upwards in the future without running the risk of structural hazard.
House type B is a three story structure on stilts where the ground floor void can be used as a shop, laundry space, a place for keeping animals or for parking an auto rickshaw. This empty space can also be incremented as a room in the future.
House type C is also a three story structure with a void in between the ground and the second floor. This void can be used as a veranda or as an outdoor room. Like the previous prototypes the void can be turned into a room in the future.
The project is financed through grants and micro credits. People are asked to put down a 10% deposit for a house. If they cannot afford the deposit, they can work it off. This allows them to learn construction skills and to find new employment opportunities. The inhabitants bring their own materials such as tiles and paints and they can develop their community with pride and purpose.