From Utopias to Heterotopias Migrant Housing: Values of Time, Density, Culture, and Energy

The course introduced concepts of `housing-for-mass’ across space and time. The evolution of housing settlements through linking and stacking; their processes, determinants/generations, and resulting patterns were explored in their respective contexts exploring the balance between order and complexity. The idea was to create an adaptive habitat for migrant communities associated with the very dynamic and socially interactive live-work environment. Here, “adaptability” has been visualized and represented as a real space, accommodative of people from diverse cultures and traditions over time. The spaces, thus created have their own characteristics; with occupants having opportunities to alter these spaces in certain extended patterns. Eventually, this fluctuating habitat, over time must be able to maintain a balance between generated orders and identified contextual complexities. The students learned to analyze and identify issues with the linking and stacking of modular housing units. This helped them in planning and organizing various ensembles in response to the open spaces and adjacent urban context. The students were also able to explore housing clusters & ensembles by balancing the underlying orders and complexities.