Overview of some final thesis drawings

Learning from the informal

Relocating a marginal community into an urban fabric The informal settlement, Terra da Costa, is one of several informal settlements in and around Lisbon.

Terras da Costa, is located 20 km south of Lisbon on the opposite side of the Tagus river in the margin of the coastal city, Costa da Caparica. Costa da Caparica is part of the municipality Almada in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon.

The direct connection to Lisbon combined with lower density makes it a popular area for living, also for residents in informal settlements. In the areas with most informal construction it represents up to 28 % of the urban fabric.

Lisbon

Trafaria

Almada Cova da Vapor

SĂŠtubal Peninsula Casa Municipal da Juventude

Lisbon Metropolitan Area Infrastructure

S.E.R.

Terras da Costa’s relation to Costa da Caparica On the first gaze the community seems to be completely detached from the city. After mappings, sitevisits and interviews, it becomes clear that the residents are an active part of the city: Children go to local schools, woman work as cleaning assistants, men work on construction site between the city and all over Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Their dwellings are hidden at the edge of the city, while their presence is clearly a part of the urban patterns.

Costa da Caparica

North-western Coastline of SĂŠtubal Peninsula 1:10.000

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An invisible community in the margin of a coastal city

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Living in the margin of Costa da Caparica

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‘Barrios’ - Informal settement Public programmes important to Terras da Costa residents Residential housing Secondary constructions Gardens Football Stadium Agriculture Atlantic Ocean

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Sandy Beach Grassy Dunes

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Fossil Cliff

Informal Settlement

Domitory High-rise Housing

Main Road

City Centre: Costa da Caparica

Tourist Hotels

Beach Promenade

The Atlantic Ocean

Siteplan of Costa da Caparica 1:2500 Highlighting programmes important to Terras da Costa residents today

Cross section through Costa da Caparica 1: 2500

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%

28%

-CRIANÇAS --

The26%informal settlement; 8% Terras da Costa

Bar

91 moradores 64 ADULTOS

FAMILIAS com HORTA

27 CRIANÇAS

FAMILIAS com ANIMAIS

An island in agricultural fields

Bar Music Studio

Men’s Gathering Alter Community Kitchen Barber Resident’s Gathering Bar

Football Field

In 2016 the roman residents agreed to be rehoused into the northern part of Almada municipality as a temporary mesure until a more long-term rehousing solution is agreed. Pressure from residents in the highrise apartments, neighbouring this part of the settlement, was one reason for this urgent messure.

This meant that my analysis focus on the largest, now only, part of the settlement mainly inhabited by post-colonial immigrants.

Car-Service

My proposal for relocation includes all 91 families living here until 2016.

Apart from including the original residents from Terras da Costa, this is based on a special characteristic of this settlement: All residents, both African and Roman families, agree to see themselves as one community. This means that they agreed to be moved as one entity rather than two different.

In everyday situations the settlement works as one community made up from families in two sub-communities according to the ethnic groups.

FAMILIAS FAMILIAS

45% 12% 24% ~ CRIANÇAS ~

DULTOS -

72%

com ANIMAIS

com HORTA

28%

Adults: 161 (61,2 %)

-CRIANÇAS --

Children: 102 (38,8 %)

26%

91 moradores 64 ADULTOS

FAMILIAS com HORTA

27 CRIANÇAS

FAMILIAS com HORTA

Wooden FAMILIAS constructions com ANIMAIS

(25 %)

Families with gardens (26 %)

28% 26% 8%

~ CRIANÇAS ~

8%

Brick constructions (75 %)

Families with gardens (12 %)

FAMILIAS com ANIMAIS

Families with animals (24 %) Families with animals (8 %)

% 45% 12% 24%

TOS

~ CRIANÇAS ~

FAMILIAS com HORTA

FAMILIAS com ANIMAIS

Overview of facts Source: Colectivo Warehouse, 2016

quinta do Quim

173 Post-colonial immigrants 8% mainly from % 28% 26% Cape Verde

OS

~ CRIANÇAS ~

FAMILIAS com HORTA

FAMILIAS com ANIMAIS

89 74

91 Portuguese Roma residents, who settled here in the eighties.

85 93

90 88

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83 63

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quinta do Quim

62 77

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89 74

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Plan of the current location of the settlement, Terras da Costa 1:1000

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76 75 82 57

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Spaces for communities Spaces that encourage social gathering Spatial organisation Most houses in the settlement are orientated towards a void, either in the form of a court yard or as a part of the path through the neighbourhood. In most cases this void has the status of a gathering space, shared between the respected family and/or friends within the settlement. These gathering spaces function as private gathering spaces only opened up to other residents when celebrating or for certain food related traditions.

Before 2014, when the kitchen was built, the two dominating families’ gathering spaces were used for bigger traditions such as Christmas. Since 2014 bigger celebrations and traditions are held in the kitchen offering a neutral social space.

A closer analysis of the housing plans showed how kitchens are often located in direct relation to the front of the houses. Access to a kitchen is a spatial organisation that encourages the gatherings around food and cooking.

Family connections and friendships (Extended Families) Typically, one house contains one family. The dependence on fellow residents has different results. The community-spirit is one of them. Another is the social division into families and extended families.

The clustering of families and extended families are survival strategies to relieve the pressure of hard work loads, low-income an unemployment. This means for example that children can be looked after by elder or unemployed residents while parents are working.

Production of food and cooking is also shared between families. This way strong bonds between relatives and friends are established.

German sociologist, Walter Siebel, describes these community structures as ‘buffer zones’ between the individual and society, especially in relation to clustering of immigrants.

While these mechanisms can become a trap that prevents the individual integration into society, it is a necessary element of surviving marginality and scarce conditions.

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Axonometric of the settlement’s spatial organisation 1:500

From Margin to Urban fabric

A new characeter for an existing neighbourhood Highway to Almada and Lisbon

Costa da Caparica’s background From the eighteenth century and onehundred and fifty years after, Costa da Caparica’s habitation was entirely related to fishing. With a rising upper-middle-class the status as fishermen village, providing the majority of fish for Lisbon, changed in the early twentieth century. In 1925 the town was officially classified as a seaside resort, mixing bathers and fishermen. The demand for holiday homes developed the economic structure of the town through a seasonal demand. Fishermen were now renting out their huts as holiday accommodation and some fishermen began teaching swimming and navigate in sea water.

Camping

1966 the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge was opened, allowing direct access between Costa da Caparica and Lisbon. This increased the seasonal population of the town along with realestate speculation and further development of the urban fabric.

Pine forrest

Urban park

The urban park with sports facilities, playgrounds and large green areas

Main road

The northern, richer part of the city has a closed front with surrounding walls Terras da Costa

Main shopping street Public square with markets, carnevals and playgrounds Public square

Public square surrounded by hotels, leading towards the beach Agriculture Beach Main bus station

Commercial front along the coastal road with groundfloor shop fronts and cafés

Football Field with surrounding public square for festivities and carnevals

Football stadium Site for relocation Dunes

Amenities

Southern neighbourhood: Bairro dos Campo da Bola

Pedestrian Promenade Main Roads

Camping

Pedestrian Beach Promenade

A new neighbourhood for the community The southern neighbourhood; Bairro dos Campo da Bola

Bairro de Campo da Bola This is the most southern neighbourhood of Costa da Caparica before the tourism takes over on large camping areas. The neighbourhood includes more than 200 houses with some level of informal construction. Most residents have lived here for many years and feel a strong community identity.

The football stadium is the main attracktion of the area.

The enclosed space surrounding the football stadium is taken over by markets, carnevals and other temporary programmes during the several festivals in the city.

The low-rise housing in the neighbourhood is concentrated towards the south-west corner boardering the camping areas, the coastal road and the agriculture. High-rise housing is concentrated towards the east-limits of the city, forming a clear division between urban and rural. Both private housing and public programmes are framed by walls and fences, which makes the streets crucial meeting places.

Main Bus station

Social housing

6 Main road

2 3 4 Football Stadium

Site for relocation

1 Fishermen Workshops

Coastal road

Neighbourhood of Bairro dos Campo da Bola

Camping

5 Amenities (local shops, restaurants and bars)

Pedestrian Beach promenade

Pedestrian Promenade Main Roads

Beach towards The Atlantc Ocean

Diagramatic axonometric as an overview of the neighbourhood for relocation

Existing spaces where people meet There are several areas that are active in the neighbourhood today. These areas inform the development of new places to meet, in a plan for a new housing area on the chosen site. These social spaces will act as junctions between the existing and the relocated residents.

1 Semi-public streets - A space for community

Existing, informal parking space

2 Football stadium - A transforming public space

Football Field

3 Public squarein a local neighbourhood, connected to the main road

Site with abandoned green areas

4 Small businesses on the ground floor - A threshold between public and private

Wide sidewalk between site and coastal road

5 Beach promenade - A public front connected to the whole

stretch of the city

6 North-east corner of the neighbourhood is a junction wih highrise housing, groundfloor businesses and services and fre-standing private villas

Fishermen workshops

Introducing a new part in an existing neighbourhood A new front with links from coast to main road

Scale 1:1000

Amenities (Community kitchen/street kitchen etc.)

Pedestrian walkways

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Existing Commercial front Pedestrian promenade

Main Roads Proposed housing plan and surrounding neighbourhood 1:1000

New front of new neighbourhood Coastal road

New housing Access street to neighbourhood Existing housing

Northern part of elevation looking east 1:1000

Football grounds

Main Road

Highrise housing

Cross section looking north 1:1000

Case-study sketch; Quinta Malaguiera (Alvaro Siza 1977) - connecting housing with surroundings

Case-study sketch; Aqueduct-House (Elemental)

Case-study sketch; Terras da Costa community kitchen (Atelier Mob, Warehouse, 2014)

A new part of the southern neighbourhood Planning an area for the people from Terras da Costa

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Spaces for community

Gradual transitions between public and private

Perspective of private community streets looking north

Cross section through new housing, looking north 1:200

The threshold between the public coastal road facing the touristic beach promenade and the private housing units towards the existing neighbourhood provides spaces for public programmes to move in.

The shadow of the aquaduct adds a shelter from the sun and a space for a stopover on the way to the beach or to the city. The public buildings are intended for the relocated residents and for the existing residents in the southern neighbourhood of Costa da Caparica.

In terms of function and programming the organisation of spaces draws direct reference to the organisation of spaces in the current informal settlement. The floor plans of the informal dwellings show that the kitchens are mainly oriented towards the court yards or paths where families gather and celebrate. This reflects the fact that cooking of food is an important element in the cultural and social patterns of the residents here.

Long section through new housing, looking west 1:200