UN HABITAT - NYERI / KENYA
Topic of slums is highly underestimated phenomena in geographies such as Kenya. There were already written a lot about possible processes how to address this topic. However, in the last few years there are shifts from research and theoretical based approaches to more complex and integrated planning processes involving both professionals and local inhabitants. And we decided to be part of this participatory process.
Process was based on conceptualisation of approaches together with its contextualisation of sitespecific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In-situ observations together with theoretical research helped to forge overall approach to slum settlement upgrading in Nyeri.
Design was based on previously mentioned processes of mapping and planning and as a whole was divided into 4 essential INCREMENTAL steps:
1. Mapping, planning & forging partnership with municipality
Mapping process is first and important step to successful, working and full-fledged project due to establishing important points of access. In planning process It is important to establish the hierarchy of needs of local inhabitants, translate it into language of space and set up phases of gradual improvement.
2. Spine project, design of public spaces & building of community houses
In this step is most important to understand local hierarchy and to translate it into language of space that will change the rules of space and will insure equal access to the space for all groups
3. New street network & public spaces & enhancing of local economy
Third step focuses on creation of additional small squares with community centres, building of school and continuous incremental improvement of small public spaces, as well as on self-help housing redevelopment
4. Continuous incremental re-development & integration into city Nyeri
Fourth step counts with continuous incremental housing re-development with minimal relocation of inhabitants and with sub-sequential integration of slum settlement into formal urbanism of city Niery
In design we were addressing several factors:
Social factors
Main aim was on preserving of communities through listening to their needs and fulfiling them
Economical factors
Between economical solutions belong encouraging of contractors to use local work force in redevelopment of infrastructure, support of urban agriculture, mainly than roof production of flowers together with beekeeping
Environmental factors
Priority is in this case reinforcing of hill via paving of streets and creation of bases under incremental houses together with rainwater drainage system.
Health factors
Important step is to improve overall health condition of settlement through creation of communal hygiene
Urbanism and architectural factors
Between main urbanism solutions belong already mentioned phasing of project. Additive architectural model of upgrading the houses is based on densify of social and economical interactions.
The competition was made with colaboration with Oto Nováček, Katarína Smatanová and Tomáš pozdech