Adaptable Housing: A Sustainable Architectural Solution to Informal Settlements in the Caribbean

This thesis explores design challenges and conceptual solutions as they relate to residential building forms within urban slum environments- specifically those found in the Caribbean region. It examines the roles of the house, form, and culture surrounding the place and people of Jamaica; using a comparative analysis of historical and current housing models to inform anew, this thesis proposes an economically and socially sustainable redevelopment plan for the house and the block in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica. This culminating graduate project raises questions about the potential to formally design for informality, about the role of the architect in the community, and about the preservation of cultural identities made evident through the tangibility of the built environment. Above all else, this thesis advocates for the socio-economic growth of individuals and communities residing below the poverty rate, using architectural design and urban planning as a catalyst for advancement.

Department dc:contributor.department

Architecture

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Reid , Shanek

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bell, Matthew

Language dc:language.iso

en

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.13016/4fg1-boze

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:drum.lib.umd.edu:1903/28310