Dare with care; collaborative design for flood-resistant housing construction in Rural Kenya
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Architecture and planning beyond sustainability (MPDSD), MSc
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Prem, Carina
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
In response to the pressing challenges posed by climate change,
particularly in vulnerable communities, this master thesis
project aims to practically test a methodology of community
engagement and participatory design in feldwork for fostering
collaboration between local communities and foreign architects.
Embracing decoloniality, the thesis confronts biases and
preconceptions that inherit power dynamics embedded within the
researcher-community relationship. Using a bottom-up approach,
it rejects the notion of imposing solutions, facilitating the
community‘s reclaim of agency over their narrative and future.
By doing so, it aims to contribute to reshaping the norms
of the architectural profession, aligning it more closely
with human rights principles and the imperative for systemic
transformation.
With a focus on addressing the impacts of fooding in rural
Kenya, the primary objective is to co-design innovative housing
constructions that prioritize community needs and enhance foodresilience.
The ten participatory actions over the course of
eight weeks culminated in a ‘workshop workshop’, that was
organized to collaboratively construct a prototype structure
while engaging in traditional crafts. Despite some challenges
and adjustments, the event proved highly productive, fostering
hands-on learning experiences and mutual enjoyment among
participants, demonstrating the effcacy of community-based
knowledge exchange and participatory engagement methods.
The journey as a white Austrian migrant from Sweden to Kenya
has been a profound exploration of privilege, perception, and
power dynamics. Through my experiences in Kenya, I have grappled
with the complexities of wealth, race, and cultural exchange,
confronting both the privileges afforded to me and the ethical
responsibilities they entail. From navigating perceptions
of wealth and race to negotiating boundaries and addressing
systemic inequalities, this thesis challenges to critically
examine the role of the architect in a foreign context and
refect on the impact of their actions. Despite complexities
and uncertainties encountered, one thing remains clear: the
importance of genuine human connection through respect and
empathy in fostering meaningful change.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
participatory design, feldwork, food-resilience, community-based knowledge exchange, role of the architect