The Perfect Slum

On Higher Grounds Whatever happens, at least one thing is always reaching higher levels: the ground level. As we know from archaeology, the ...

The Way Up Stairs should overcome not only uneven levels but also challenges of a different kind. The toughest puzzle in the design of a bui...

The other way around The slum phenomenon is so widespread that we may speak of a trend in architecture. The architectural debate will not go...

The narrowness of alleys in a slum A city can suffer of vascular stenosis. Such terms are used when the density of traffic is clogging the r...

Crossing Borders Contrasts make things visible. Contrasts occur mainly at the boundary of an object, a house or a neighbourhood. Right at th...

Adding Up Adding a floor to your house is the best way to let your home grow. An additional floor and four walls is all you need. And of cou...

The Risk of Destruction as a Blessing in Disguise In case of destruction of a building, the culprit can always be found among the triplet o...

Not a developing countries' prerogative Banks of Sumida river Tokyo. A high-end economy like Japan may not be the first place to look fo...

Slum is an accumulation of improvements Building often begins with demolition. A building that does not meet requirements any longer must ma...

Using the word Slum in a positive way is uncommon to many of us. Generally it is used to refer to dwellings not meeting the most basic stan...