A Spatial Dialogue in the emerging city of Addis Ababa: Bridging the Gaps between Informality and Formality

The Master's thesis "A Spatial Dialogue in the emerging city of Addis Ababa" explores the intricate dynamics between formal and informal housing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Authored by a German-Ethiopian architectural designer, the thesis critically examines the oversimplified categorization of traditional "sefer" settlements and modern...

Building Trust: preserving an inclusive Addis Ababa

Ethiopia is a flourishing country with a rapidly growing economy and population. This is one of the reasons why the capital Addis Ababa is increasingly urbanizing. Due to the free market only providing housing for high incomes, many households live in poor conditions. In addition, these private developments are often built as gated communities...

Revitalizing Riverbank Informal Settlements: Urban Integration & Revitalization of the Bulbula River

This graduation booklet shows the work that is done during the ‘Global Housing Graduation Studio: Addis Ababa Living Lab’. The goal of this project was to research and design housing solutions to improve the livelihood of Addis Ababa’s urban dwellers. Currently, Addis Ababa is facing the problems which are caused by the ongoing rapid...

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...

Towards Circular Neighbourhood: Addis Ababa Living Lab

A solution to the urgent need for new urban housing that could translate current social cultures to the physical environment is essential to avoid further ghettoisation and provide sufficient accessibility of amenities, infrastructure and employment. Seeking the balance between resiliency and efficiency at a low environmental cost requires...

Renewal of the Sefer: Step by Step: Affordable housing, Ethiopia Addis Ababa

How can the ‘Tabula rasa approach’ be avoided and through a development strategy which can be phased in time, within the existing fabric of the sefer, avoiding relocation of the residents to other parts of city and maintaining existing social networks and provisions.<br/>

An urban transit zone: A permanent structure for temporary inhabitation

In developing cities across the globe, as in Addis Ababa, the number of residents is growing while the amount of good-quality housing remains low. The demand for low-income housing is rising rapidly due to the contemporary aim to eliminate the unhealthy living conditions and the influx of migrants. Without newcomers a city would not be able to...

A fruitful border: How can an affordable housing scheme in Addis Ababa be an open border that generates economic and social exchange?

How can an affordable housing scheme in Addis Ababa be an open border that generates economic and social exchange? And how can this scheme respond to the topography and the future plans of the government?<br/>The design of an affordable housing scheme which integrates social and economic exchange of the residents but also the city dwellers.

Liveable and lively outskirts: Transforming the condominium neighbourhoods in the outskirts of Addis Ababa to a place to live and build a life

Urbanisation is the one word that describes best what is currently happening in Africa. Addis Ababa is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa: the number of inhabitants is rising fast. More and more people from the countryside move to the capital. This puts a lot of pressure on the city and causes several problems. One of these problems is...