Liza de Jong
Architecture and Dwelling (Global Housing Studio)
Leaving space: an alternative for the chawl redevelopment in Nala Sopara, Mumbai
The shortage of low-cost housing in Mumbai is enormous. Current low-rise high-density (re)development strategies aim to create as many units per hectare as possible. These (re)redevelopment schemes contribute significantly to the provision of low-cost housing but compromise the communal life and the primary hygienic conditions of the dwellers.
Leaving Space is a proposal that aims for a balance between creating density and leaving space for inclusive communities.
Two square slender building types are designed to provide optimal flexibility in even the smallest apartments by introducing a multifunctional veranda. The clustering principle of the buildings provides a hierarchical sequence of open spaces that goes from the most public to the most private. Thereby leaving space for the aspects that can make a community flourish: for amenities to serve the communities in their needs; for fresh air to flow and for sunlight to access, to improve basic living conditions; for public-spaces where the community can come together and for the everyday social and spatial practices of the inhabitants.