Slum Quarters of Steel
Modern cities are facing unprecedented demographic, environmental, economic, social and spatial challenges. There has been a phenomenal shift towards urbanization, with 6 out of every 10 people in the world expected to reside in urban areas by 2030. In the absence of effective urban planning, the consequences of this rapid urbanization will be dramatic. In many places around the world, the effects can already be felt: lack of proper housing and growth of slums, inadequate and outdated infrastructure – be it roads, public transport, water, sanitation, or electricity – escalating poverty and unemployment, safety and crime problems, pollution and health issues, as well as poorly managed natural or man-made disasters and other catastrophes due to the effects of climate change. In order to resolve this global problem are created nonstandard architectural designs.
Design company CRG Architects presented the original solution to the problem, seeking to explore and investigate the possibility of a temporary adequate housing solution for dwellers of the densely populated Dharavi Slum in Mumbai, India. The project was presented in the framework of “Steel City - Container skyscraper” competition, organized by the website www.superskyscrapers.com. As a basic building element in the design is used 20-, 40- and 45-foot containers.
‘’Recycling used shipping container modules which are cheap and fairly available in a port city like Mumbai, gave us the chance to revitalize such a socially deprived area and contribute to a housing solution, providing a visual focal point, reinforcing and enhancing the presentation of an urban housing,’’ - said Carlos R. Gomez, Principal Architect of the project. The contribution of this project to the sense of place and community at the chosen location, encourage its use, and has a direct relationship with idea of such a vertical development, maximizing the new development potential with attention to sustainability and ecology.
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Materials provided by CRG Architects