Alazne Echaniz Jurado, Sine Celika
Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
In the Philippines, the majority of the settlements are located alongside the coast. Rapid urbanization generated by economic development affects the housing situation in the country. In addition, climate change has increased the prevalence of natural disasters. In the city of Hagonoy, the situation has led to a residential crisis, where citizens struggle with floods created by heavy rainfall, rising sea levels and tidal movements. Typically, locals initiate ad-hoc solutions such as raising the dwelling once every few years, which is a costly and inefficient solution in the long term. A systemic approach that corresponds to the living conditions in a holistic manner is necessary.
Residential areas are complex organisms, as they deal with stakeholders with contrasting interests and various uncertainties emerging from socio-cultural dynamics. When combined with the urgency created by the floods, an expansion that corresponds to the growth of the population becomes an even more complex problem. This study presents an exploration of these dynamics on three interdependent levels. Firstly, value chains are mapped from the perspective of locals to analyze and expand the solution space. Secondly, departing from the local lifestyles, an egocentric map of quotidian needs is created that informs the design of a potential expansion. And finally, these insights are brought together to co-design a floating neighbourhood based on an existing technical prototype of a single floating house. These three levels together form the first ideas for a floating expansion for the city of Hagonoy to embrace the ever-growing tension between nature and humans.
Reading floating neighbourhood in rural PI
- Waterfalls illustrate the influence between the elements
- Fishing rods point out the connections and relationships
- Bridges indicate the transition towards potential future solutions
- Clouds represent the intangible elements within the system
Map & Video: Co-creating a resilient floating neighbourhood in rural Philippines
To view the map detail, click the black arrow on the right. You can zoom in from the view on the new tab and explore the whole map. You can also download the full-size map from the new tab.
