An Affordable and Adaptable Building System to Transform Informal Settlements in Cairo

Today, approximately 70% of Greater Cairo’s 20 million inhabitants are living in urban informal settlements, and the number is expected to continuously increase. These informal settlements suffer from various issues such as overpopulation, high unemployment rate, land shortage, poor living conditions, inadequate infrastructures, and environmental pressures. This paper is a scientific summary of the results from the research project A²L-Mobilius, which is partly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Project: AL²MOBILIUS; Grant Number: GERF-IB-033 Almobilius_01DH14003). The goal of this research is to explore an integrated approach to improve the living condition of local residents as well as to revitalize the local communities. By investigating the context of informal settlements in Cairo, an Affordable and Adaptable Building System (A²BS) based on open building concepts is proposed, which can be easily prefabricated and assembled by unskilled labor. Meanwhile, Decentralized Processing Units (DPUs) tailored to the building system are introduced to enhance three main aspects of life (working, energy, and mobility). Finally, a simulation of a regenerated house based on selected case study building is presented, which integrates A²BS and various DPUs. Additionally, an appropriate business model for the future prosperity of the local communities is discussed in the context of Decentralized Industrial Village (DIV). In conclusion, this research will be a step forward to improve the living conditions of informal settlements in Cairo and worldwide.     «

Today, approximately 70% of Greater Cairo’s 20 million inhabitants are living in urban informal settlements, and the number is expected to continuously increase. These informal settlements suffer from various issues such as overpopulation, high unemployment rate, land shortage, poor living conditions, inadequate infrastructures, and environmental pressures. This paper is a scientific summary of the results from the research project A²L-Mobilius, which is partly funded by the German Federal Minis...     »