build it up
a community building in karachi
01 / challenges
A first analysis of Karachi made clear that the city deals with many challenges such as urban sprawl, inflation on housing market, increasing commuting time, bad quality environment and seasonal flooding. In order to apprehend the site, we had a look at the global trends related to density in Karachi. This global perspective allowed us to respond on different scales to the identified issues.
An-Sofie De Backer - Ysaline Ophoff - Sarah Poot
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/ location & climate Karachi is a city lying on the Pakistani coast of the Arabian sea. Characteristic features of these climate zone are very high solar radiation and very low relative air humidity of 10-50%. Also typical for these zones is a low amount of precipitation, often occurring as short strong rain falls. So on, buildings need to provide responsive features to those specific criterions.
continents sub saharian areas
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Build it up - A community building in Karachi
/ Average temperatures (celsius) and rainfalls (mm) in Karachi
/ Wind direction and strenght.
An-Sofie De Backer - Ysaline Ophoff - Sarah Poot
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/ urban sprawl Global trends tend to show a rapid expansion of big cities in developping countries. Karachi is the largest and more populous metropolitan city of Pakistan. It used to be its capital until Islamabad was constructed but it is still its economic center. Such as other developping metropolis, Karachi is expanding rapidly : its population doubled during the last 15 years. 1998: 9.339.023 inh. 2013: 21.142.625 inh. 2001 1987 1974 1955 100 KM
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/ World map, population.per countries/largest cities
/ Low rise sprawling of Karachi, by night
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/ housing market Such as other developing metropolis, Karachi is expanding rapidly : its population doubled during the last 15 years. As residential buildings have been sold out the prices of empty lots insanely increased in the mean time. One of the characteristics of Karachi is the heavy presence of incremental/ illegal housing. Because available lots are rare and expensive, people rather stay and encroach on the streets. More than ownership, achieving legal ownership would be a dream come true for many citizens in Karachi. Prices of lots in Karachi (regarding to the average wage) > 1992: 1M2 = 1,7*wage > 2013: 1M2 = 40*wage
1 m2 price evolution 50 wages
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/ Incremental housing taking over the Lyari Nala along the interchange
/ Buildings encroaching on the street in order to expand available living space
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/ commuting time Karachi hosts more than 21 millions inhabitants, of which 50% live further than 10 kilometers away from the center. Local means of transportation are restrained to minibuses being slowed down by tremendous traffic jams. As a consequence, we witness a boom of incremental housing along busy roads. > Traffic jams > 3-4 hours commuting > Huge co2 emission > Housing boom along busy roads
karachi 10 km radius (20km) bruxelles region 100 KM
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/ Commuters in the Pakistani city of Karachi board a crowded minibus
/ Massive traffic jam on the main road of Liaqatabad Number 2
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/ environment Karachi waste management is barely existant. Public containers are not sufficient for the domestic waste, which is being burned in the street by unhappy neighbours. As a consequence, the public collecting service dumps the trash in and around the Nalas (rivers), having heavy consequences on the environmental quality of the city. > Indiscriminate dumping of trash > Increasing difficulties with acquiring suitable disposable sites > Difficulties with conveyance of solid waste by road due to the worsening traffic problems and the lack of alternative transport options > People living around heavily polluted industrial sites > Water supply is not efficient.
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/ Trash container being burned in the street
/ Kid playing on a mountain of trash dumped in a Nala
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/ flooding, extreme events Karachi’s network of drains is not designed to handle high intensity of rainfall. In addition, the drains get blocked or are covered up by encroachments. Encroachments and squatter settlements on the bed and along the banks of the Malir River are major cause of flooding. One solution used globally by city planners is to invest in flood storage areas – designing some areas to deliberately flood (such as parks) so that vulnerable land can be spared. But in Karachi, the Lyari Expressway, built as a protection against the floods, doesn’t allow the city to be resilient. water districts with minor floods districts with major floods water rainfall (mm) 1000 MM
districts with minor floods districts with major floods rainfall (mm)
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0 Build it up - A community building in Karachi 30 44 56 59 61 67 70 77 94 07 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20
/ Floodland being colonized by incremental housing leads to blockage and overflow of the sewage system
/ Monsoon season is particularly dramatic
02 / densit(ies)
Density is one of the most urgent challenges of Karachi. Its consequences embody a wide range of threats as explained before. In order to understand density, we compared existing data of known places with Karachi. Having a look at different perspectives in order to evaluate existing density in Karachi helped us defining what kind of density would fit in the existing cityscape. We developed some tools to compare the existing average density with the proposed project, in order to support our discourse.
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/ comparison
BELGIUM - BRUSSELS 2,3 MEMBERS PER HOUSEHOLD 2011 (Eurostats) 161 KM2 1 164 378 INHAB. (08/2013) 7215 INHAB./KM2
brussels
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PAKISTAN - KARACHI 6.38 MEMBERS PER HOUSEHOLD (Pakistan bureau of statistics) 3 527 KM2 21 142 625 INHAB. (08/2013) 5 995 INHAB./KM2
karachi
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/ floor area ratio The FAR is calculated by comparing the foot print of a building with the actual surface of available floors. This tool is really efficient to compare low rise and high rise density.
floor area ratio
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/ dwelling units Knowing the number of units on a given surface is a tool mostly used for financial reasons : it is the data that makes the investor able to evaluate the profit he will be taking from a real estate operation.
dwelling units
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/ population Comparing the population per square meter/kilometer/yard, is the most commonly used tool for statistics. It is often a clue on poverty level in a given neighborhood.
population
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/ lyari nala : density/plot Karachi’s plots follow a pattern of given superficy. Even incremental/ illegal housing follows this pattern, in case the eventuality of being legalized present itself. Along the Lyari Nala, the density per plot is quite consistent with a majority of plots comprised between 60 and 120 square yards. This data suggests that those neighborhoods host low to lower middle class inhabitants.
> 60 60 > 100 100 > 120 120 > 300 sq yards 100 KM
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/ lyari nala : density/population Compared to the previous results, this map shows that even if the plots sizes are comparable, some of the neighborhoods are much more dense than others along the Lyari Nala 0,12 > 0,14 0,10 > 0,12 0,08 > 0,10 0,06 > 0,08 0,04 > 0,06 0,02 > 0,04 0,00 > 0,02 P/M2 100 KM
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03 / site choice
We mapped the public activities both on city level and on scale of the Lyari nala. The succession of different identities and the existing road structure were the main criteria to define a specific site and the way it interacts with its surroundings. Having the previous features in mind, we counteract urban sprawl by reusing the existing structure of the Lyari expressway. In this way we respond to the housing demand by densifying in a sustainable way.
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/ public programmation
water
pumping
expressway
schools
parks
culture
sports
hospitals
playgrounds
religious
graveyards
markets
productive
malls
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lyari expressway north & south bound gulbarg town, karachi - pakistan satellite view
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/ Construction phase of the North bound of the Lyari Expressway
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lyari expressway north & south bound gulbarg town, karachi - pakistan intervention
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/ intervention The intervention is linking 2 commercial neighborhoods with a productive community building Mixed use program : • • • •
residential recreational manufacturing commercial
260 meters
Housing units : • from 20 units • up to 60 families • up to 240 inhabitants
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Build it up - A community building in Karachi
04 / conditions
In this part we discuss the current threads and potentials of the Lyari nala and expressway. We make some assumptions, based on existing situations in cities with similar features, and set conditions in order to create a clear basis for the project. These features and assumptions result in a productive landscape, where housing, recreation, manufacturing and commerce are interlacing.
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/ existing situation Currently, the Lyari Nala is a backyard in the city. • • • •
trash zone moving stream blocked flooded area a non-space in the city
Moreover, the Lyari Expressway is a selective and expensive feature, not serving the majority of the population : • • • •
high cost infrastructure too steep for an easy accessibility exclusive feature (toll) disconnection with adjacent neighbourhoods
So on, it rises another global issue : what is the future of existing road infrastructure in a society moving towards a more sustainable urbanity?
/ View on the wall separating the Nala from the city
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/ project conditions The project takes for granted the following conditions, regarding some existing precedents (Indore, India). 1. Lowering and channeling the nala 2. Double sewage system (rain water + grey water) Introduction of : • • • • •
sewage and sanitation system navigable nala build up density cleaning water features flood regulation
As a consequence, the Lyari Nala becomes the starting point, the bedrock to foster a better future for the entire city.
/ A new productive canal, to support local and regional economies
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/ new features, new practices The project by its morphology tries to provide a new and more efficient transportation system in the congested city, taking into account environmental and pecuniary perspectives. Thanks to low draft barges and pusher boats, new collective services can be implemented with little investment and lower cost of labour and maintenance : - trash collecter service - transportation of people - transportation of goods - mobile retail - mobile workshop (distance for noise)
To transport 5000 tons of trash, you need :
250 trucks (0,6 cents of Euro per ton/km)
125 wagons (2,6 cents of Euro per ton/km)
1 river convoy (5 barges + 1 pusher) (0,2 cents of Euro per ton/km)
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Trash collecter service
Transportation of people
Transportation of goods
Mobile retail
Mobile workshop
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/ time cycles Because of subsaharan climate, seasonal changes are not perceivable in Karachi. The project proposes to create an urban scene for those natural cycles trhough the implementation of a large field of Marigold flowers accross the Nala. Seeding, growth, harvesting of the flowers become «moments» in the citizen life. This natural landscape creates a high contrast with the business of the manufacturing area, but also participates in the local economy. Marigold flowers are used for : • • • • • •
celebrations decorations necklaces oils and creams cooking tea
/ Marigold necklaces
/ Women arranging flowers for a religious celebration
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/ Colors changing while workers are harvesting marigold fields
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05 / concepts
RESIDENCE (Producer)
RETAIL (Product)
WORKSHOP (Production)
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/ backstage - frontstage By opening the Lyari on the groundfloor level, the project proposes a new connexion with the Nala. But in fact, it is its new manufacturing characteristic that will make the Nala an additional frontstage for the city. The project proposes to relocate former inhabitants of the area pushed away during the construction of the Lyari Expressway. By raising up the density on top of the former expressway, the projects offers the Nala a new visibility and role in the urban fabric.
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MANUFACTURING
LIVING
RETAIL
RETAIL
LIVING
TRANSPORT
PRODUCING MANUFACTURING
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/ expandable communities Some vocabulary : The nuclear family will be understood as a couple (with their children if they are not autonomous yet). By extension, all the members of the nuclear family frequent different circles related to certain functions : Extended family : (The extended family will be understood as all relatives of multiple generations living in the same housing unit (containing different living units for every nuclear family) • cleaning • eating • sleeping Feminine circle : • • • • • •
light manufacturing training childcare leisure cooking washing
Masculine circle : • • • • •
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training gathering leisure retail heavy manufacturing
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/ accessible square meters The project proposes a gradient of spaces dedicated to specific circles : the nuclear family, the extended family, the masculine and feminie circles. By regrouping some functions and sharing them with other circles than the nuclear family, the project proposes an increased superficy of accessible space per person
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women’kitchen
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06 / feasibility
Given the current global trends of growing population, especially in middle to lower classes, the most important challenge is to produce a livable city at lower cost. Another exciting challenge is to foster community feelings in a city and a culture where privacy levels respond to a much higher demand than in our western society. An additional main issue is to deal with sub tropical climate : high density prevents good ventilation. So on, climatic solutions have to be provided, inspired from vernacular traditions. As build up density is one way to host inhabitants at lower cost, the projects invest the existing and unused Lyari Expressway in order to raise the density in the lower income neighborhoods. The very morphology of the existing infrastructure and its location near by a potential transportation channel allows the design to combine living space with working and leisure spaces. In order to implement those features, cooperation between the state, private investers and inhabitants are set in motion. Using the existing Lyari expressway as a skeleton, the cityscape is designed and built by the users of the space.
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/ phase 1 (transformation principles) The existing structure of the Nala is composed of concrete modules (20 meters wide) resting on bearing portiques (2 columns) every 20 meters. In the phase 1, the governement (that owns the infrastructure) removes the unnecessary walls and filling hearth, and install sewage, water and eletricity access, connected to the city network.
asphalt layer
bridge deck modules
earth volume to remove
pillars + beam = portique
water and electricity supply sewage system
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/ Existing structure
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/ phase 2 (supply of basic needs) In phase 2, the private invester reinforce the structure by pouring an extra layer of concrete to support future contruction, and combine new windcatchers (every 20 meters*) with the techniques provided by the governement (water and electricity). It also furnish the minimum for the manufacturing area : walls and openings.
windcatcher every 20 meters
extra covering for reinforcement
bridge deck modules perforated for ventilation & circulations
walls perforated for access and ventilation
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* Windcatchers The Wind catcher, in phases 5 and 6 will also support the addition of staircases, to provide access to the additional floors. Each structure serves 2 houses that form a cluster. The material to build these staircases will be provided by the community.
/ Windcatchers - Doha University, Qatar
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/ phase 3 (bearing structure) In phase 3, the private investor provides the bearing structure of the houses, according to the future tenants. He makes sure that the structure allows the creation of an internal courtyard in every unit to allow air movement by convection*.
* Air movement by convection (courtyards) Warm air is less dense than cool air and therefore will rise in an environment of cool air. This movement is called convection and can lead to the phenomenon called the stack effect. As the warm air rises, it must be replaced by cooler air from the surroundings. If a heat source exists below the initial pocket of warm air, the cooler air replacing it will also be warmed and will rise.
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/ Marakkech - town structure (courtyards)
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/ phase 4 (infills) In phase 4, the inhabitants (renter of the community, which is the owner) fill in the provided structure with adaptable and personalized infills. Those infills have different degrees of privacy (Masharabiahs*), and allow the creation of poetic and pleasant spaces in between the interior courtyard and the outside of the house (Takthabush*) * Masharabiah, jali, venetian blinders... Oriels often feature these lattices, which explains the term “A place to drink”. Unglazed clay jars filled with water were placed in these niches or oriels so that water evaporates on the surface and cools the incoming air. The resulting evaporative heat loss made these spaces particularly comfortable. • protection and controlled diffused supply of daylight • control of air flow with differently sized lattice appertures • protection of privacy (by contrast : outside view possible, limited views inside) * Takthabush This is a covered outdoor sitting area at ground level, located between the courtyard and the back garden, opening completely onto the courtyard and through a mashrabiya onto the back garden. Since the back garden is larger and thus less shaded than the courtyard, air heats up more readily there than in the courtyard. The heated air rising in the back garden draws cool air from the courtyard through the takhtabush, creating a cool draft.
/ Takthabush principle
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/ Masharabiah
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/ phase 5 In phase 5, the inhabitants build themselves additional living room & bathroom on the 1rst floor with the same building principle, in order to host an extra couple in the family (wedding, birth...) Each familly needs to support the financial coast of those new additional spaces. The structural system allows cantilevers to be build on top of the ground floor, in order to provide sun shade to the lower floor, that host the «outdoors» activities (retail, courtyard...)
* Sun shading systems Loggias, galleries, arcades, are usual ways to provide shade on the façade in the arab house.
/ Galleries
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/ Arcades
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/ phase 6 In phase 6, the inhabitants have the possibility to build one last floor. This raises the project FAR to 3 while the average in Karachi is close to 1. However, it keeps a low rise density, not to block the view from the many rooftops used by the neighbours.
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/ Rooftops along the Expressway
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07 / organisation
On one hand the main structure is provided, on the other hand we introduce a do it yourself system. Inhabitants will be able to give identity to their house by using infill walls, according to their needs and preferences in space and time. So on, we enable a countless range of possibilities as much in form as in function. By creating clusters of houses, which are slightly shifted, new spaces appear. These can either be dedicated to women or to men, as both feminine and masculine activities are very different. Under the expressway the space is used for several forms of manufacturing and collective use.
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/ possible use of space The project gives the opportunity to the users to adapt their house according to their needs as much in space as in time. However, the bearing structure suggests an organisation that provides a gradient from very collective spaces to very individual spaces. Some basic rules are set, to avoid an overconstruction that would prevent the natural ventilation of the building.
retail retail entrance entrance circulations circulations bathrooms bathrooms storage storage courtyards courtyard
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2nd Floor : max 40% of the footprint max cantilever : 2 meters wide on 8 meters long (*2)
1rst Floor : max 60% of the footprint max cantilever : 2 meters wide on 8 meters long
Groundfloor : max 80% of the footprint max addition (only ceiling) : 24 sqm on man’s side
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/ typology 1
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/ typology 3
/ typology 4
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/ clusters - groundfloor 1
Cleaning rooms Bathrooms are partly individual (nuclear family) party shared within the cluster of two homes.
2
Masculine space The space in front of the houses on the Nala side provides space for the men to gather in the entrances of the homes. It is also the space where the retail is concentrated.
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Retail expansion The retail space can be expanded temporarily on the men space.
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Feminine space On the street side, the women space host a communal kitchen and laundry features. It is adaptable in order to host training courses of women meetings.
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Entrance The entrance is shared by two houses. It gives access to the shared staircases that serve two houses.
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Private courtyard Each unit has its private courtyard on the groundfloor that ensures the natural ventilation of the building.
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/ clusters - upper floors 1
Galleries If multiple living rooms are provided on the upper floors, galleries provide access to each of them.
2
Shared spaces In the circulation space, some nice places are provided to read a book behind a masharabiah.
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Cantilevers Living space cantilevered on the upper floors provides shadows to the lower floors.
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Loggias Living space can expand outdoor thanks to adaptable loggias.
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Terraces If needed, terraces can be added later to provide an extra space.
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Extra livingrooms The living room is the most individual space of the house. It is dedicated to one nuclear family.
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/ do it yourself catalogue Infills will be realised by the inhabitants themselves. Here are some clues. Brick wall
Arcades
Brick mashrabiah
Seating
Plant cooling
Steel mashrabiah
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BRICK
ARCADE
MASHARABIAH BRICK
SEATING
Shop
Steps COOLING BUFFER
SHOP
MASHRABIAH
ELEVATION
Build it up - A community building in Karachi
Arcades
Wooden mashrabiah
Shelves
Self shading brick wall ARCADE
Tea house seats
MASHARABIAH
Seating and shelves STORAGE
SELF SHADING
SHOP
SEATING / STORAGE
Modular shop
SHOP
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400 M
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/ manufacturing spaces
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Repair workshop Close to the second hand funiture market, the repair workshop allows people to repair any furniture before selling it.
Flowers The florist area allows the INTEGRATION / GROUNDFLOOR PLAN process and packaging of flowers to be delivered or selled in all Karachi.
INTEGRATION
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INTEGRATION
/ GROUNDFLOOR PLAN
INTEGRATION
Laundry In the laundry space, dhobis are providing washing, dying and ironing services. An additional bleaching pool is separated from these features.
Timber workshop The workshop provides machines and storage for the sellers of the timber market. Machines are shared by the community and available to all.
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/ GROUNDFLOOR PLAN
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/ collective spaces
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Silent tower This space is a respiration in the city. Completely enclosed, it is a space for meditation inspired by the minarets.
Amphitheater This urban theather faces both an open space in the city and fields of marigolds. It is the theater for urban events and celebrations.
Playground This shaded space provides a place to play and to gather both for the adults and children of the neighborhood.
Recycling center This feature provides a sorting disposable site for domestic trash. The waste is then taken away by barges.
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08 / users
To illustrate the adaptiveness of the system, we illustrate one house with the timeline of an average family of Karachi. Let’s follow the Phool Wala family for a little while...
Yasmin 59 years old Laila 39 years old + Laila 43 years old
+
Jafar 63 years old
Amir 37 years old + Farah 35 years old = Samira 17 years old
Naseer 33 years old + Nadya 28 years old = Ali 4 years old
Karim 11 years old
Ali 1 years old
Ali 7 years old
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/ 2015 Yasmin 39 years old Laila 19 years old
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Jafar 43 years old
Amir 17 years old
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Naseer 13 years old
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/ 2018 Yasmin 39 years old Laila 22 years old + Shadid 26 years old
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Jafar 43 years old
Amir 20 years old + Farah 18 years old
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Naseer 16 years old
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/ 2025 Yasmin 49 years old Laila 29 years old + Shadid 33 years old
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Jafar 43 years old
Amir 27 years old + Farah 25 years old = Samira 7 years old
Build it up - A community building in Karachi
Naseer 23 years old + Nadya 18 years old
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/ 2035 Yasmin 59 years old Laila 39 years old + Shadid 43 years old
+
Jafar 63 years old
Amir 37 years old + Farah 35 years old = Samira 17 years old Karim 11 years old Ali 7 years old
/ manufacturing : bleaching
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Build it up - A community building in Karachi
Naseer 33 years old + Nadya 28 years old
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09 / experience(s)
/ a day in ali’s life Hello, my name is Ali, I’m 8 years old. I live next to the Lyari river.
/ recycling center Every day my father wakes up at 6:30. He collects the garbage of our building and brings it to the recycling center in order to earn some extra money.
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/ wood manufactory At 8:00 he starts working in the wood manufactory with Naseer, my uncle. Meanwhile, my grandfather opens the shop in front of our house. I like to help him, because he knows many stories. Samira, my older sister, goes to college and my mother drinks some tea with my grandmother.
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/ playground At 10:30 my grandmother promised me to go to the playground. She knows a lot of people there as most of them are living in our building.
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/ furniture workshop At 12:30 we visit one of her friends, who lives above the furniture workshop. My mother, who paints the furniture, which the carpenters created, joins us for lunch.
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/ flower workshop After lunch we stroll along the Lyari. My grandmother loves to walk in the marigold fields as the smell remembers her of her mother, who used to make beautiful necklaces and decorations with the flowers.
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/ dhobis Our walk back home is very pleasant, as the activities along the river are changing continuously. The dhobis are fascinating me the most. To me, it seems to be a big choreography of fabrics, which are washed by the men, dried in the sun and finally ironed by the women.
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/ silent tower At 17:00 my sister finishes her classes. She likes to sit down for a while in the silence tower before coming home. She told me it’s a place in the neighborhood where she can escape from the business of the city.
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/ amphitheater Tonight I’m going to the amphitheater with my family. I’m looking forward to it, because there will be some festivities and all of our neighbours will join!
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