Exhibition: Modern Vernacular

Modern Vernacular is an exhibition showcasing examples of contemporary informal housing in Africa, Asia, and Latin America designed and built without the involvement of architects. The exhibition is titled Modern Vernacular, as the exhibited houses and urban areas are characterized by the use of modern industrial construction materials utilized across different contexts according to local […]

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PhD-Thesis: Out of Control: On Urban Morphology of Informal Settlements in East Africa

Most of the ongoing extensive urbanization in East Africa is informal and occurs beyond the limits of state control and regulatory systems. The urban majority in the region resides in informal settlements characterized by limited urban planning, construction without formal permits, and lack of formal land titles. Issues with substandard housing, overcrowding, insecure tenure as […]

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Paper: A Fine-Grain Multi-Indicator Analysis of the Urban Form of Five Informal Settlements in East Africa

Few studies have investigated the urban morphology of informal settlements at fine-grain level, limiting effective urban planning and policies targeting such areas. This study presents a high-resolution morphological analysis of five informal settlements located in central areas of major cities in East Africa. The analysis is based on indicators of urban form, statistical comparison, and […]

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Paper: A New Hypothesis on Informal Land Supply, Livelihood, and Urban Form in Sub-Saharan African Cities

In sub-Saharan Africa, the urban majorities are financially excluded from the formal housing markets and reside in informal settlements. Limited knowledge on the development of informal settlements compromises the efficacy of urban planning and policies targeting such areas. This study presents an analysis of informal urban land use in four major cities in East Africa, […]

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Book: Interpositions: Architectural Interventions in Mafalala

This publication contains the works of 3rd year architecture students attending KADK – The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation – Institute of Architecture, Urbanism and Landscape. The students produced the presented material while developing their individual bachelor thesis projects, comprising community center designs in the informal settlement Mafalala, […]

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Book: Casas Melhoradas: Affordable Housing in Mozambique

Casas Melhoradas is an applied research project on housing for low-income groups in the informal settlements of Maputo, Mozambique with a three-fold focus: 1) Improve the quality and reduce the cost of housing through development of alternative construction methods. 2) Initiate sustainable urban development by curtailing urban sprawl and utilizing space and infrastructure more economically […]

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Book: Informal Horizons

The majority of the ongoing extensive urbanization of East Africa is informal and occurs beyond the limits of state control and regulatory systems. This development is characterized by lack of urban planning, infrastructure provision, and formal rights to the land. Lack of land rights constitutes a major issue within urban development in East Africa, as […]

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Beira Affordable Housing Project

Beira Affordable Housing Project was developed in 2017 in collaboration with Reall in relation to their pilot project in Beira for their Mozambican affordable housing program. The project proposes a dense settlement structure, with numerous public spaces, active social zones adjacent to the streets, small plot sizes, and houses that share walls and installations with […]

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