Wessel de Graaf
Dwelling: Global Housing
Rediscovering the Roots of the City - Creating Synergy Between Addis Ababa’s Urban Dwellers and Rivers
This project looks for an alternative low-cost housing strategy for the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The current response to the enormous housing shortage is not socially and environmentally sustainable, while the natural environment, and in particular the water bodies of the city, is already under great pressure after years of uncontrolled urban sprawl.
By introducing an urban wetland, this project aims to revitalize the inhabitants' relationship with the rivers in order to create a river culture. Green wedges connect the urban wetland with the dwelling landscape, so the water bodies will be better integrated within the environmental, social, economic and technical domain. The project proposes an earthen versatile modular system that can respond to its environment, is inclusive for all different income groups, allows incremental adaptations, and is environmentally responsible. In this way the water bodies will become a valuable asset interwoven with the daily patterns of life.