The transition of Moldovan Vernacular Residential Architecture in the XIX century

Starting with the 14th century, Principality of Moldova inhabited the territories between Nistru River, the Black sea, Danube and the Carpathian Mountains. This location, although having well-delimited natural borders, represented the intersection of multiple spheres of influence such as the intersection between the Ottoman Empire and the...

Resilience inbetween the plasticscape: Energy and resource efficient social housing for migrant workers in Almeria, Spain

Almeria is a geographical point of arrival and passage of African migrants on their migratory route to Europe. The region is home to thousands of migrants seeking work in the agricultural sector. The lack of affordable housing for these collective has led to the creation of several informal settlements around agricultural areas. <br/><br/>This...

The Design, Construction and Evaluation of a Pilot Project of a Bahay Kubo Inspired Floating Home

In the overpopulated deltas of the Philippines people live in are-as that see floods regularly. The floods are being caused by a com-bination of tides, heavy rainfall and land subsidence. The demand for safe and affordable housing is immense, yet available dry land is scarce. By implementing floating homes in vacant former rice fields,...

Open Vernacular: Exploring the Potential of an Autopoietic Framework for Critical Dialogue between Tradition and Modernity to Address Future Complexity in Addis Ababa

The research project deals with the negative results of the current affordable housing scheme (IHDP) in Addis Ababa, combining urban upgrading and densification strategies to re-imagine the future of these neighbourhoods.

Development Induced Empowerment: The Roof Villages of Addis Ababa

The following design hypothesis addresses the spatial dilemma between city development and lack of tenure security of informal housing dwellers with a special emphasis on improving the economy of both of the individual households as well as supporting the development of the city.<br/><br/>The goal of the research and the main goal for the design...

The industrial pedagogical Technicum: A Vernacular Appropriation of Modernism

The Industrial Pedagogical Technicum, completed in 1978, has developed a curious status among the large-scale construction projects of the Late-Soviet period in Georgia. The dimensions of curiosity result from the fact that, until 2017, the architect was unknown to most local architects and historians, and that there are few and inconsistent...

Radical Vernacular: A New Ethiopian Urbanity

Addis Ababa is a city experiencing a huge population boom, and where the vast majority of housing can be classified as “slum”. State-owned kebele housing, which houses an estimated 40% of the city’s inhabitants, has very low rents but is not maintained, leading to deterioration. Thus, the city is left with a severe shortage of adequate housing....

Blurred boundaries: The Reintroduction Of Hierarchical Spaces In The Baithi Chawls Of Mumbai

India is the second most populated country in the world, counting for over 1,3 billion people, a number that is rapidly increasing. In line with the rest of the world, India is, next to its increase in population, seeing a rapid urbanization, with Mumbai in the centre of it all. Considering the increase of population and the urbanization of...

Dwelling with the Other Half: Architectural Education for the Design of Affordable Housing in the Global South

This essay reviews critical design pedagogies developed recently to explore the complexities of designing affordable housing in the global South. The essay examines in particular the pedagogical approach and the student work produced for the Global Housing design studios, offered by the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at the TU...