Post-disaster low-cost housing solutions - Rebuilding After Disasters: From Emergency to Sustainability - page 41

This variety allows each family to progressively invest capital in their house
and to increase its value through later modifications - at a pace that matches
additional resources as they become available. Besides, very often 'light'
technologies such as timber frames and corrugated metal sheets are slowly
replaced by 'solid' technologies such as masonry and concrete structures.
Minimum variety in construction technologies is adopted in formal recon-
struction. Once again, standardization and uniformity are prioritized over
variety and individual multiplicity of choice.
10. Variety of functions and uses. Mixture of residence and
income-generation activities
Informal housing solutions provide for an inseparable interdependence of
domestic and income-generation activities in low-cost housing. During the
day, spaces might change their use, and thus domestic spaces might serve for
storage, workshops, stores or small manufacturing in the informal sector
(Figure 2.5). The interdependence of their activities facilitates both housing
affordability and income generation for households. Very often, this is the
only choice for women who need to engage in a productive activity as well
as take care of children and domestic chores.
All of this is often neglected in formal reconstruction projects that artifi-
cially distinguish between commercial and residential uses. This distinction
is worsened by the 'box effect', which limits the possibilities of interaction
between the interior and the exterior. In the informal solutions, the possible
link between indoor and indoor-outdoor spaces and the street is crucial for
the delivery of income-generating services (ironing, clothes repairs, haircut-
ting, etc.) and for the productivity of stores and retail outlets (Figure 2.5).
11. Strong emphasis on safety from theft and robbery.
Delimitation of the land and fencing are priorities
The widespread use of bars for windows and doors, fences around the plot
and locks demonstrates the importance that informal dwellers give to preven-
tion of theft, robbery and break-ins. The common use of exterior fencing or
even low walls is also interpreted as an effort to clearly delimit the acquired
property. 10 These priorities are rarely considered in the solutions provided by
formal housing reconstruction.
12. Variety of open spaces
Spontaneous settlements have a great variety of open spaces, including
small plazas, irregular squares and open areas between units. These public
or semi-public spaces play a fundamental role in community building and
in social interactions between residents. It is therefore not rare to find in
informal settlements a cluster of units around an open area (featuring a tree,