In Bangladesh, rapid urbanization, rural-to-urban migration, and climate change converge to intensify the vulnerability of slum residents, particularly in regions like Sylhet. Slums are characterized by overcrowding, substandard housing, and limited access to essential services, leaving residents highly exposed to disease, poverty, and natural disasters. Climate change compounds these challenges through rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and increasingly frequent floods and cyclones that destroy precarious housing and disrupt livelihoods. Despite the urgency, many government-led relocation and upgrading initiatives have been ineffective, often failing to account for local needs and causing further social and economic disruption.

This research explores the urgent need for affordable, climate-resilient housing solutions tailored to Sylhet’s slum residents, with a focus on in-situ development that avoids forced relocation. It examines how housing can be designed to be both culturally appropriate and adaptable to the residents’ livelihoods, using locally available materials and construction techniques that enhance flood resilience. The study seeks to define affordability in this context, identify design features that improve climate resilience, and propose implementation strategies that maintain community stability during construction. By centering the specific needs and aspirations of slum residents, this research aims to inform practical, sustainable, and inclusive housing models that strengthen community resilience to climate change while addressing urban poverty in Bangladesh.

This thesis aims to delve into the historical connections between the establishment of Flevoland, the unique imperative for a multifunctional centre, and the architectural marvel that is “De Meerpaal” in Dronten. The exploration seeks to understand the motivations behind Flevoland’s desire for such a centre, how it led to architect Frank van Klingeren’s involvement, and the rationale for siting this unique structure in Dronten. This investigation is not only a journey into regional development but also a probe into the broader realm of architectural history, architectural choices, and urban planning ideologies of Flevoland that converged to construct this iconic building.