Synergistic Heterogeneity: Fostering resilience through inclusive development for a transient population

From the very beginning, Mumbai, was made up of migrants. Its main population growth, at various points throughout its history, occurred primarily through migration. It was a popular place for people fleeing poverty, war and religious prosecution, as well as an attractive place for work and aspiration. ‘Floating populations’ or seasonal migrants...

Place for Prosperity: fostering environments for children

The first interactions of the child with its environment can already have long-lasting impacts on its worldview (weltanschauung) and psychoanalytical state. This makes the architecture of housing, especially in poor regions, such as Nalasopara in Mumbai, a critical key point for the development of the next generations. However, after the...

Organizing the Unorganized: Towards empowerment of the informal sector

Nalasopara East, a representative case of chaotic urban fabric in Mumbai, India, is comprised of densely packed mid-rise chawl developments which neglect the complex and unorganized network of informal economic activities of the low-income residents for the benefit of the private developers. This affordable housing project aims to embrace the...

Dry Feet

The growing population in urban areas around the world puts tremendous stress on natural resources. In India, the urban population has increased form 18 percent to 34 percent of the total population between 1960 and 2017 and is expected to exceed the rural population at the end of 2040. The growing urban population will putt stress on the...

[RE] Connecting Mumbai: A response to the increasing spatial and social polarization within the city of Mumbai

In recent years, Mumbai has experienced rapid urbanization due to its economic growth. This large influx of migrants, who are looking for opportunities in the city, has led to an issue of overpopulation. It has been estimated that the population will grow to 28 million within the next few years. More than 40% of these people live in informal...

Towards a Sustainable Density

This graduation project has the name 'Towards a Sustainable Density', and is part of the Global Housing Studio, which aims to rethink the current systems of affordable housing in the Global South. Today, nearly fifteen percent of the world's population lives in poverty in urban areas, of which the majority can be found in the Global South. This...

Maker Housing Navi Mumbai: Mixing Navi Mumbai

The exponential population growth of Navi Mumbai and the Global South results in urgency for housing, quality of life and resources. Maker Housing proposes through architectural design and spatial organization an alternative mode of living in these unique urban contexts. Gaothans is a Marathi word which is derived from the words ‘Gaon’ (which...

Housing Humanity, Building Locality: Endemic habitation practices driving the reconstruction of a coherent urban locality

The effects of India’s shift towards economic liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation in the mid 1990’s has drastically altered the landscape of its cities. These powerful forces have imposed further spatial disjuncture on an unplanned city. More specifically, forces of contemporary urbanisation plague the developing fabric of Mumbai’s...

Bridging Realities: A Response to Spatial Inequality in Mumbai & Nalasopara

In Mumbai, “two-thirds of the city’s (Bombay) residents are crowded<br/>into just 5 percent of the total area, while the richer or more rent-protected one-third monopolize the remaining 95 percent.” The Development Plans for Mumbai, criticized as “a form of ‘planned’ exclusion of the poor and the middle class”, have failed to address issues of...