Makoko Floating Community
Makoko Floating Community A Dissertation by:
Chukwuemeka Philip Obioha Masters of Architecture and Masters of Science in Sustainable Design
Professors
Ann Therese Cederna M.arch , AIA
Carlos Reimers, PhD., Intl.Assoc. AIA
Lavinia Fici Pasquina
G. Bradley Guy,AIA,LEED AP BD+C,SEED
Dedication
This thesis research book is dedicated :
To my parents Engr Philip (Ikemba Aro) & Nwamaka Obioha, and to all my family who have been very supportive and encouraged me to go on new adventures. To my CUA professors who have always encouraged me to think outside the box and never give up on an idea.
Site visit pictures
Table of content Thesis statement
PG.
Chapter 1 : the research
1- 15
- Location - History of Makoko - Problems on site - Program analysis - Precedent - floating house typologies - Site - Current Condition - Lack of systems
Chapter 2 : Urban analysis
15- 23
- Master planning - Site development - Development process
25- 41
Chapter 3 : design - Sustainability Measures - New housing - Communal spaces - Sanitation center -Communal center
Chapter 4 : presentation
43- 49
Thesis statement Problem: Makoko floating community is a small shanty town located at the coast of Lagos mainland. Overpopulation in the area has led to poor living conditions and pollution. The illegal settlement of the most desired waterfront has also been met with the constant threat of eviction by the Lagos state government.
Description: Makoko community sprawled from a small fishing village in the 18th century. Over the years, thousands of people have made it their home due to the high price of real estate in Lagos city. The exact number of people living in the area is unknown but it is estimated to be around 200,000. The houses are built on stilts driven deep into the water-bed. The average occupant in each house ranges from 6 to 10 people. There is no running water, electricity or sewage collection in the area due to the reluctance of the government to view the area as a legitimate part of Lagos
Solution: - New sustainable housing that will cater to the needs of Makoko residents. - A master plan which will bring order to the area will help with the easy flow of goods and services. This will further help the Makoko locals to be more self-reliant by creating platforms which help them sell their local products.
Chapter 1 : the research - Location - History of Makoko - Problems on site - Program analysis - Precedents - Floating house typologies - Site - Current condition - Lack of systems
1
Location Nigeria - Population : 192,093,688 - Capital
: Abuja
- Density
: 215 people /km 2
- 1.04 Men - 1 woman - Employment rate 14.2 %
Lagos - Population : 14,234,000 - Density : 5000 persons/km 2 - Capital of Nigeria from 1914 - 1991 - 5th largest economy in Africa - Accounts for 53% of manufacturing employment in Nigeria - Generates 32%of the national GDP
Makoko - Location
: Lagos mainland
- Population : 200,000 - Established in the 19th century - Main occupation is fishing - Most of the city is constructed on stilts above the Lagos lagoon - Demolition proposed in July 2012 - Demolition suspended three times
2
History of Makoko
Makoko is a 200-year old sprawling slum built on the Lagos lagoon in Nigeria. It started as a small fishing village in the 18th century. Over time, thousands of people started settling in the lagoon due to the high cost of living in the city and also due to over population. There is no official figure on the population living in Makoko but it is estimated to be around 200,000 people. Houses are built of hard wood and scrap material. A platform is created on water by driving wooden stilts deep into the water bed. Each house usually accommodates an average of 5 to 10 people. Houses usually don’t have much program in them. They usually consist of an open floor plan for the inhabitants to sleep in and a small walled off portion to take showers. There are no sanitation collection system in the houses. Raw sewage is visible in the water. The water depth in the community is around 5 feet deep and acts as the community streets systems. The canoe is the major way to move through the community. The major occupation in Makoko is fishing. Men go out into the lagoon early in the morning to catch fish, the women then take the catch to sell in the market outside the community.
3
Problems on site Pollution - There are no sewage or trash collection system in the area. - Raw sewage is present in the water which has lead to health issues in the area . - Water pollution and overpopulation has also lead to a decline in fish harvest in the area .
Urban-scale - Makoko sits on expensive water front real estate which has lead developers to push the government to take action . -Threat of eviction (three attempts have been made). - Makoko sits opposite to Lagos main bridge . It connects Nigeria’s busiest international airport , Murtala Muhammad international airport , to Lagos islands. The Lagos government believes Makoko gives a bad impression to visitors. - Lagos city is keen to re- invent itself (Lagos Beautiful Movement). The Makoko community is perceived as an obstruction .
Infrastructure - There are also no infrastructure on site to carry water , electricity or manage sewage on site.
4
Population Age Distribution Population Age Distribution
Sea Level Rises Estimated to be between 0.32m to 1.41 1.05 Ft to 5ft 0 - 25
0 - 25
Physicians per population < 1 Per 1025 people
25 - 60
25 - 60
60 - 100
60 - 100
Population Literacy Rate: 59.6 % 69.2% Male 49.7% Female 4 C Warming (7.2 F)
Unchecked Pollution
2 C Warming (3.6 F)
Extreme Carbon Cuts
Population Growth Rate 3 - 14 %
5
Program analysis /Existing house types 1.
2.
3.
Plan
Section Sleeping area
6
Patio / cooking area
Bathroom area
Precedent Floating House / MOS Architects Location : lake Huron , Canada Material : pontoons,steel ,wood Area
: 2002.09 Sq ft
Project year : 2008
Floating Houses in IJburg Location : Amsterdam, The Netherlands Density :
60 homes per hectare.
Material : concrete ,steel ,wood Area
: 114657.17 Sq ft
Project year : 2011
Makoko Floating School Architect : kunle adeyemi ( nle) Location : Makoko , Lagos , Nigeria Density :
100 adults
Material : plastic barrels ,wood Area
: 2368.06 Sq ft
Project year : 2013 Collapsed: 2016
7
Floating house typologies CAN - FLOAT HOUSES
Can -float houses are structures with the ability to rise above the water level during a flood event. The building rests on the base ( the dock )when conditions are normal, and rises when there is a flood. The base of the house is made of reinforced honeycomb structure which gives the building buoyancy. Services are connected through "elephant cabling" â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a flexible cable that carries electricity, water and sewage. For safety reasons, the house only uses electric power and no gas.
FULLY - FLOATING HOUSES FLOATERS
These are floating houses that use floaters for buoyancy. Floaters are the most common form for floating structures. They are usually made up of polystyrene or Styrofoam. Services are usually connected to the building with flexible cables. Floaters do need to be changed or regularly maintained.
8
CONCRETE PONTOON SYSTEM
These are concrete pontoons made of an air tight honeycomb concrete system or a combination of Styrofoam and concrete. These systems are maintenance free and have a long life span. Very large floating foundations can be built using the Flex-Base system. This system also enables floating homes to be seen as buildings so they can have building regulations applied to them. The system is also made up of Eco friendly concrete. It is extremely long lasting therefore its carbon footprint is reduced over time. The concrete pontoon system are held in position by piles driven into the water bed and utilities are also provided with flexible connections. I went with the concrete pontoon system in my design because it requires no maintainance and has a long life span.
high-strength concrete shell
Polystyrene
Hot dip galvanizing steel skeleton
Water & electricity pipe lines
1. strong structure 2. Long life span 50 > 3. customizable modules
Connetion point (can take stress up to 81 tonnes )
9
Site
Diagram of site
Land
10
Land v.s water
Floating community
Wood processing
Third mainland bridge
Solid v.s water
Water Grid
Makoko floating community sits opposite the third mainland bridge and the Lagos lagoon. On its side is a wood processing industry with a lot of sunken logs and sawdust bi-products. The water grid, through the cluster of houses, acts as the main route for transportation throughout the community. Majority of the floating community is built on wooden poles but there are patches of compressed earth and sawdust used to form little islands for some houses. The governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure stops at the land boundary so the floating community gets no support from the governments. All settlement on the water are viewed as illegal.
11
Current condition Sections through site
Land
0
0
12
Land v.s water
45
15
15
Floating community
90
45
180
90
180
Existing housing conditions
Major water way Micro water way Macro water way
Cluster formation
Connecting backs
Patio
Density comparison 2 Acres 594.2 People = 5 People
= 5 Houses
113 Houses Makoko , Lagos , NG
2 Acres 64 People
16 Houses Silver spring, MD , USA
13
Lack of systems
Makoko floating community is not recognized by the Nigerian government as a legitimate settlement. In fact, it stands in the way of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal to make Lagos a mega-city. No government aid or infrastructure is provided to the floating community, so the self-governed community has to fend for herself. The infrastructural services end just right at the intersection between land and water. Going into the community, there is no infrastructure to provide electricity, water or sewage management system. Sewage is dumped directly into the water way and portable water is gotten from water kiosk around the community. There are some improvised rainwater collection systems in some houses.
14
Land
Land v.s water
Floating community
Utility pole
Water storage tank
Local water kiosk- water from bore-hole
Generator
Sewage
Septic tank
15
16
Chapter 2 : Urban Analysis - Master planning - Site development - Development process
17
Master planning
Major water ways
Zones
Before going into urban design of the site, analysis was done on the existing urban conditions. Makoko community was broken into 6 zones. These zones form naturally due to the informal settlement and this creates the major water ways. Going further in design, I had a priority to preserve this natural formation of major water ways. There is a slight change in housing arrangement in each zone. All houses face the north east trade winds but are slightly tilted due to individual zones formation.
18
House arrangements
Communal path
When creating the communal path, the focus was on making the design as organic as possible. The natural edges of the major water ways were used, but additional emphasis had to be made on the central boulevard of the Community. The path through the inner parts of the community was kept at a minimum to avoid obstructing the canoe traffic through the community.
19
N.E trade winds
Imposed grid
A comparison was also made on the effect of imposing a new grid onto the Makoko site V.S using the already organic grid in place. The new imposed grid took away from the natural flow and characteristics of the floating Community. The organic grid keeps Makoko unique and true to its beautiful character.
20
Organic grid
Site development
After most of the site analysis and comparison were done, the goal for the site became clear. The development process on the site would be a gradual process starting with building new houses in the open lagoon. This is needed so the Makoko inhabitants displaced by construction of the communal spaces in phase 2 would have new housing to accommodate them. After the new communal spaces are complete, a stage by stage demolition, cleanup and rebuilding process can then start to occur. This would be a communal activity which would teach the local much needed skill in case an expansion or maintenance is needed on site.
The new urban design would help the Makoko community to be more self-sufficient. It is designed to attract tourisim and the surrounding communities into the site which would create a big economic boost to the community and oits people. It also affords the Makoko citizens market platform to process and sell their products to the outside community.
21
Development process
Phase 1 - adding New housing in open water
Existing site
22
Phase 4
Complete rebuild
Phase 5
Phase 2 - Communal spaces Communal gathering space
Phase 6- complete rebuild
Communal buildings (market ,clinic etc)
Phase 3 Power plant
Walkway
Complete development
Demo , clean, rebuild
23
24
Chapter 3 : Design - Sustainability measures - New housing - Communal spaces - Sanitation center - Community center
25
Sustainability measures Before the design began, a study was done on what material were available on
Materials on site
site. There is an abundance of saw dust from the nearby saw mill, floating logs and plastic waste in the water system. This was to see how materials can be reused from the site.
Recycled wood from site
Structures
Locally sourced wood
Sunlight
Wood PV cells
Food Rain water
Energy
Organic waste
Cooking Storage
Abandoned floating logs
Storage
Compost
New development
Methane
Drinking Cleaning
Communal spaces
Sustainability measures from the AIA cote top ten for students hand book were then used in the design to help deepen and incorporate sustainability in the community design. The measures chosen are;
Saw dust
Bi-product from sawmill near
1. Design for Ecology
by
-Integrating the proper treatment of human waste into design
2. Design for water
Rain water collection
Filtration
Released back into environment
Portable water used
Filtration
Compost toilet
Waste water
3. Design for energy Compost toilets
4. Design for community 5. Design for change 6. Design for wellness
26
Compost
Methane Solar panel
Electricity Plastic waste Pontoon frame
Aqua filters Floating Treatments Wetlands (FTWs) These are man-made ecosystems that copy natural wetlands. They are created by embedding aquatic plants onto floating mats. The roots of the plants then grow Soft rush Removes bacteria , oil, heavy metals from the water . grows up to 9 cm
though the media into the water providing a larger surface for nutrients to assimilate. This floating system then helps to improve the water quality by consuming, filtering and breaking down pollutants. It also helps create a natural habitat for fishes and small organisms.
Water mint Removes bacteria such as e. Coil and salmonella. Grows up to 15cm
Aquatic native plant Growing Media Bulrush Removes bacteria , oil and other organics from the water. Grows up to 25cm
Micro Growing Mat Pontoon frame : Made from recycled plastic - Aquatic habitat creation - Water quality treatment
Cattails Removes heavy metals (zinc, cadmium, lead and nitrate) from the water. Grows up to 25cm
27
New housing
parti
Parti
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m focusing on designing sustainable housing that meets the needs of Makoko residents. The design would have to have a water collection system to harvest rain water and a system that would manage waste. I want each unit to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on external infrastructure to function. I started with a simple parti, which illustrates a sloped canopy over programmable space. Each unit would have to incorporate living spaces, a kitchen, bedrooms and a bathroom.
Process Sketches
28
Diagrams
Housing unit
Housing cluster - 7- 8 houses
Private area
Housing relationship
Two types of housing units where designed, type 1 and type 2. The type 1 unit accommodates 5-6 people, while the type 2 unity accommodates 8 - 10 People. The housing units are arranged in a cluster formation to copy the arrangement of the houses on site. A private area is created as a result of the formation, this would be used to park the residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boats. Close families that live in neighboring units will be aligned to each other, while non related neighbors units will be offset 5 feet back.
Cluster variations
Type 1 unit
Type 2 unit
29
20’
30’
10’
20’
The housing unit are constructed on the concrete pontoon system. This gives the house 16’
buoyancy and lets it respond to rising sea levels. Concrete pontoon system also eliminates the need for maintenance and is easily customizable to allow storage tanks to be embed in its structure. The typical unit is divided into four 10 x10 spaces, which allows two bedrooms a living space with
Cluster elevation Public ( micro water way)
Private zone
kitchen and restroom sharing a portion of the unit. All spaces in the unit have full operative doors which allow cross ventilation through the unit. The sloped roof allows rainwater to be collected, filtered and stored in the pontoon systems. Electricity is gotten from solar Panels on the roof. Waste water Is filtered in each cluster and released into the environments. Compost toilets are used to recycle the solid waste.
Water level rise
30
A 7
1 5
5
4
2
8
4
3
6
3
3
1
A Type 1 floor plan
PV system
1
Cross ventilation
Stack effect
5 3
4 6
3
3
2
1
13
12 11 9
Type 2 floor plan 1. Patio 2. Living room 3. Bedroom
0
4. Bathroom 5. Kitchen 6. Staircase
5
15
13
30
7. Kids sleeping area 8. Storage space 9. Water filtration system
10. Clean water tank 11. Pump 12. Shower & kitchen
14
10
13. Waste water tank 14. Filtered water returned to environment
31
Construction process
Type 1 = 6 people
32
Type 2 = 8> people
Housing interior
Water way though housing development Housing private zone
33
Communal space / market - phase 2 When focusing on the design for the communal space (market & schools), I used the same principels as the housing design. I started with a 160 x 80 base, which also uses the concrete pontoon system, with a 20 x 20 grid. The main idea of the design is its ability to host different functions. The market platform could easily be changed to house a School. The grid system helps to organize the different programs on the floating platform. The roof system is sloped in two different directions to capture water for the different programs and also to allow cross ventilation throughout the large public platforms. The communal spaces have the ability to harvest electricity using their solar panels but can also get additional power from the community power plant.
School
Market
Market spaces
34
Fish processing
Storage
Classrooms
Utilities
A
1
1 1
1
1
1
1
2
5
4
3
6
Market floor plan
A
0
5
15
30
4
9 8
10
PV system
Cross ventilation
7
11
Stack effect
1. Market stall
4. Processing
7. Filtration
10. Waste water
2. Service corridor
5. Storage
8. Portable water
11. Filtered water returned to
3. Restroom
6. Service entrance
9. Pump
environment
35
Sanitation center
The sanitation centers will be implemented in phase 2 when the communal spaces are introduced (occur on empty lots close to housing clusters) The sanitation centers are built to stop people from continuing to dump waste in the water ways. The centers will be deconstructed and recycled as the new development faces are introduced
Front elevation
36
Side elevation
27 3
3
3
3
28 1
4
B
B
29 3
3
3
3
30
2
31
32 Sanitation center floor plan
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
9 10
1. Mens toilet 2. Womens toilet 3. Compost toilet
7
8 5
6
4. Sink 5. Clean water tank 6. Waste water tank
7. Filtration 8. Pump 9. Sink
10. Filtered water returned to environment
37
Community center / phase 6 Power plant -anaerobic organic waste generator (methane) - Electricity distributed to communal areas
Main community path -Connects MKakoko to outside communities -Distribution of electricity through out communal areas
Market
Community gathering area
38
Housing cluster - 7- 8 houses
Aqua filters Native plant species introduced to help with the removal of microbes in the water
39
Pontoon system also used to carry electricity to communal spaces.
40
Natural fish habitat formed by the root system.
Anchoring system also performs as artificial fish habitat.
Pontoon structure : Concrete shell with recycles Styrofoam Core.
Market
41
42
Chapter 4 : Presentation - Research board - Design board - Physical models
43
Presentation Boards - Research
44
45
Presentation - Design
46
47
Presentation model
48
cluster model
Site model
49
Bibliography Makoko: 'venice Of Lagos' https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/makoko-venice-lagos/241671/
https://www.massey.ac.nz/~flrc/workshops/11/Manuscripts/Tanner_2011.pdf
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/BSE/BSE-76/BSE-76-PDF.pdf
"What's In A Name? That Which We Call Makoko." The Book Banque. Accessed July 02, 2018. https://www.thebookbanque.com/tbbnqsociety/that-which-we-call-makoko.
Makoko https://shelterglobal.org/competition/2017/makoko/
Slum Dwellers In Africa's Biggest Megacity Are Now Living In Canoes Tim McDonnell http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/05/15/528461093/slum-dwellers-in-africas-biggest-megacity-are-now-living-in-canoes
Makoko, Lagos: The World's Largest Floating City This author does not have any more posts. - https://heydipyourtoesin.com/makoko-lagos-worlds-largest-floating-city/
Inside Makoko: Danger and Ingenuity in the World's Biggest Floating Slum Tolu Ogunlesi-Andrew Esiebo - https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/feb/23/makoko-lagos-danger-ingenuity-floating-slum
Fighting For Makoko Maptia - https://maptia.com/calinescu/stories/fighting-for-makoko
Makoko Archives https://www.livinspaces.net/https:/www.livinspaces.net/tags/makoko/
50
Catalyzing Aquatic Architecture a Floating Intervention in the Makoko Waterfront Community Eric Bethany - https://issuu.com/ericbethany/docs/bethanye_finalboard
High-tech Floating Houses Planned For Nigeria Water Communities Johnny Magdaleno - https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/ezajen/nigeria-lagos-water-communities-look-like-waterworld
Plug-in Water Filter https://www.lauraindiagarinois.com/plugin-water-filter/
Urban Design Makoko Digital Version Ismaila Aro - https://www.slideshare.net/IsmailaAro/urban-design-makoko-digital-version
http://makoko.org/walefalade.html
College Of Design https://www.design.iastate.edu/interdisciplinary-programs/sustainable-environments/
Botanic Aquafilter â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iaac Blog http://www.iaacblog.com/programs/botanic-aquafilter/
Floating Blue 21 Ecosystem Offers a Sustainable Alternative To Consumptive Societies Nicole Jewell - https://inhabitat.com/floating-blue-21-ecosystem-offers-a-sustainable-alternative-to-consumptive-societies/
What Type Of Floating Foundation? Designed and built by The Design Pantry - http://floatinghomes.ltd.uk/floating-foundations.html
51
Email: 29obioha@cua.edu
.
Phone: 3016339008
Copyright 2018 Chukwuemeka obioha
The Catholic University Of America school of Architecture and planning Washington, D.C. May 2018