HOUSES FOR CHANGE

RECYCLED Dharavi
Dharavi is a slum in Mumbai, India. Whilst being one of the larges slum areas in the world, it is also one of the oldest. Dharavi's total population is estimated as between 300,000 to about 1 million inhabitants.
The “RECYCLED DHARAVI” slum rehabilitation project is aimed at taking advantage of both the formal and informal economic activities and small industry which exist on that slum area. Waste recycling industry and “recycling art and crafts” are suggested to supplement the existing field of small industry.
The existing and continuously growing recycling industry are supposed to be involved in the development and construction phases of the “RECYCLED DHARAVI” slum rehabilitation project. All the Dharavi area will be divided into sectors and units, patronized by competing recycling companies.
The main layout inspiration was sir Walter Christaller's graphic representation of his “Central Place theory” . A resulting module of a honeycomb has been assumed as the basic unit and duplicated as much as possible, to resulting with the wast structure implemented into existing urban context.
A good road/transport structure between the honeycombs are provided, as shown on a layout plan. Meting spaces and playfields are also provided for the Dharavi dwellers.
The whole area is divided into 4 recycling sectors : paper, glass, aluminum and plastic. People in this sector recycle it and produce new goods. In some corners of each honeycomb we create small “recycle factories” and other workshops where people can work and sell their products, other corners are used as schools, health centers and shops.
Thanks to light steel loadbearing construction, walls inside each flat can be arbitrarily shaped. In case of economic necessity, loadbearing steel structure can be substituted with bamboo structures, instead.