The third world can be described as an island of wealth with a huge belt of poverty. To be forthright, the societal and urban climate of the third world are very much tied into the concept of spontaneous settlements - urban environments that arise from the harsh conditions presented by rigid social structures, climate, limited resources, politics and the economy – attributes that may redefine it as a contemporary urban vernacular. Spontaneous settlements [or SS] are the end results of processes that give rise to informally produced housing rather than the built form of the housing itself.

 

To shift the perspective on SS, architect John Turner stated that it should be redefined as an

“incremental process of construction”.

 

My project takes a stance on how to develop a pedagogy between the architect and the homeowner/builder by focusing on the building as a process rather than the product, especially in SS environments, and hopes to transform the shelter into a dwelling.