4th quarter only

GLOBAL HOUSING STUDIO, 4TH QUARTER ONLY!

Objective:

To develop models or prototypes for middle and lower class households for the exploding cities in Africa and Asia, focusing on Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

Background:

All over the developing world, the challenge of developing sustainable mass housing is a pressing issue.
The assertion of the Global Housing Studio is that every location, country or region, demands its own models and prototypes for housing the masses in a sustainable way. These models and prototypes should be the result of both top down and bottom up design and planning processes.
The aim of the Global Mass Housing Studio is to investigate different case studies and to develop approaches and solutions for each. The first case study is Ethiopia. In subsequent studios other countries will be featured.

Case Study:

Like many countries in the world, Ethiopia is going through a period of intense urbanization. Its capital, Addis Ababa, has shown an increase in population of around 6% per year in the last twenty years alone. The population is expected to grow from 2.1 million in 1994 to approximately 6-7 million in 2015.
To provide basic housing for these millions of people is a challenge to the Ethiopian government. At the same time, out of the poverty stricken majority of the population a middle class has immerged with demands that go beyond the mere providing of shelter and (running) water.
At present projects are going up that are very unlikely to go beyond 20 years of existence. They are ill suited for the typical demands of the Ethiopian society. The aim of the Global Housing Studio ‘Ethiopia’ is to create models and prototypes of dwellings that take into account local cultural and technical conditions. Only that way durable and feasible solutions can be achieved.

Studio:

Students in the Global Housing Studio will engage in an intensive, 8 week design course, which kicks off with an on site workshop in Addis Ababa.
During the quarter (MSc2 studios only run for 1 quarter) various specialists will be brought in to provide input and focal points.

The emphasis of the studio will be on dwelling plans and sections.

Parallel to the design course the Capita Selecta lectures will take place. Students of the Global Housing Studio are expected to attend these lectures.