Personal Work
User Research
Data Visualization
Spatial Design
User-Generated Housing
Empowering Users to Shape and Evolve their Living Spaces over time
Introduction
This Research explores the concept of ‘User Generated Housing’ - A typology that places the user in a driving seat to shape the environment that he/she lives in. It responds to users’ needs at multiple scales and is perceived as a continuous process that occurs over a period of time. This method of housing stands in stark contrast to the top-down hierarchical approach observed in the present scenario
Backstory
The research is based on the premise that a study of user-generated housing offers an opportunity to imagine housing as a process and not a static product. It builds a case to rethink housing that is currently based on the ideology that ‘One solution fits all’.
The research showcases three distinct neighborhoods in the dense context of Mumbai. It attempts to understand the different lifestyles and ways of living that have evolved over a period of time and how the architecture has responded to it from the scale of the city to the unit. Ultimately, this study opens questions on the professional role of an architect within a model that offers users a greater say in the making of their dwellings.
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