Inclusive neighbourhoods across urban waters: A spatial design for intensifying socio-ecological resilience in communities in Addis Ababa positioned between tradition and transition

The world is urbanising rapidly, with the Global South as the part of the world with the most rapid urbanisation. The urban population of Ethiopia is predicted to nearly triple in 25 years. The swiftness of urbanisation is resulting in extreme challenges. It causes, reinforced by climate change, that Addis Ababa is increasingly affected by...

Common Ground: Vernacular Livelihoods and Rural Urban MIgration

The prevailing matter of need for affordable housing in the time of rapid urbanisation and additionally, during the peak of the Anthropocene era, calls for new social, economic and environmental solutions to accommodate the rural-urban migration in Addis Ababa. As the city boundary of Addis Ababa is constantly expanding in the phase of its...

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...

Recomposing the city fragments of Addis Ababa: Physical re-weaving of Addis from a social perspective

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa but only 20% of its population lives in urban areas. The relevance of this fact entails that traditions, economic activities and their social structure are still highly attached to the rural, which is reflected in the ‘’ruralization’’ of the urban areas, that have retarded the progress of...

“From Home to Home” : Towards an inclusive, mixed and updatable community

Ethiopia is going through rapid urbanization and population growth in the recent two decades with lots of migrants from the rural areas, resulting in a dramatic housing shortage. The same situation happens also in many other developing countries in the Global South, where affordable houses are demanded. By exploring an affordable housing scheme...

Exploring the connection between arriving young adults and current residents of Addis Ababa: The redevelopment of bole sub city Woreda 14, Gerji, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The goal of the graduation studio is to research and design housing solutions that improve the livelihood of Addis Ababa’s urban dwellers. Combining analysis, planning and design, the participants of this graduation studio were challenged to use multidisciplinary research methods and tools to elaborate design proposals for the development of a...

The new arrival city of Addis Ababa: Creating resilient urban clusters for city's dwellers and newcomers

Ethiopia alone is one of the most rapidly growing countries not only in the continent of Africa but also in the whole world. The country is populated by almost 110 million inhabitants and only 20% of the whole population is living in the cities. Over 65% of the population from rural areas have started to follow the migration patterns from rural...

Gerji Co-habitable Densification _ Urbanization & Nostalgia: Towards the collective welfare between original and new residents

An alternative proposal for the densification needs of Gerji site in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The design itself is systematic and highly flexible, on a larger scale, it could be an example of a gentler way of deification that is caring for the people involved.

Respite: A Breathing Space in a City of Acrimony - Addis Ababa Living Lab Affordable Housing

The main objective of the project “Addis Ababa Living Lab” is to improve the livelihood of Addis Ababa’s urban dwellers using transdisciplinary approaches of analysis, planning and design. The approach incorporated in-depth understanding of social, economic and technological needs of the inner city neighbourhoods. To achieve this goal, the...