Architecture of Incrementality: Creating a Design Toolkit for Architectural Elements of Inhabitation | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

Located in Malvani, a suburb of Mumbai near Noori Masjid on Road No. 6, the site has roots in the 1980s, when residents were relocated from areas like Bandra, Colaba, and Dharavi, leading to the establishment of Collector Compounds. Over the years, the original grid layout of these compounds has shifted as residents expanded their plots, creating densely packed clusters that are often named after notable landmarks such as mosques or markets.

One of these clusters centers around Noori Masjid, where organic growth has increased density, with housing extensions limiting light and ventilation. Government efforts have added some amenities, such as expanding the public toilet and creating new boundaries along the Nala. The proposed design seeks to reimagine the Nala and ground edges, merging the cluster with public spaces. Steel jali grids and roofing redefine the ground boundaries, creating adaptable niches that connect the cluster with communal areas. This flexible grid of steel columns and beams adjusts in scale, forming versatile spaces that enhance daily life and community engagement.

Design Process

The toolkit consists of precise architectural interventions and techniques that enable a rethinking of core building elements and functions—such as walls, windows, foundations, and more—making them more attuned to the neighborhood’s specific conditions.

It is divided into parts, each part focusing on different building elements and exploring ways to repair or adapt these elements within the neighborhood to improve light and ventilation in densely populated areas, while also enhancing aesthetic details. This catalog then serves as a foundation for designing several detailed habitation models.

Final Outcome

The project aims to intervene in a densely populated, self-built settlement. Over time, the settlement expanded organically, evolving into a highly compact area as residents added spaces to meet growing needs. Habitations extended into circulation areas, and building heights reached up to 30 feet, resulting in inadequate lighting, poor ventilation, and sanitation issues within the cluster.

The toolkit introduces precise elements crafted from materials found within the site’s neighborhood. These components are designed to enhance natural light quality and ventilation. The structural elements form a porous skin that softens the boundaries between the interior and exterior of the home, allowing flexible layers to be added based on climate conditions and the specific needs of the habitat.

This involves adding a layer of movable louvers to direct light at specific angles or using a thin fabric membrane in place of a wall. Since the space is constantly evolving, these elements allow the form of the habitation to adapt continuously.

This intervention seeks to address the irregular changes in habitation by offering a climate-responsive toolkit, with the architect acting as an advisor who delivers targeted solutions rather than a complete overhaul. In this approach, architects function like a clinic, providing specific remedies rather than performing full-scale “surgery,” allowing the space to evolve naturally over time as various agents make incremental adjustments.

Conclusion: Overall, this project proposes a flexible approach to enhancing dense, self-built neighborhoods by providing a toolkit of adaptable interventions that enhance light, ventilation, and sanitation. Instead of imposing fixed designs, the project offers targeted solutions, empowering the community to adapt their spaces over time. This method fosters sustainable development that respects the neighborhood’s character, creating a healthier, more resilient environment that evolves with its residents’ needs.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]