Informal settlements
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about informal settlements
Project • By FAPF-KADK • Urban Green Spaces
Maxaquene Txombene
Maxaquene Txombene is a public space project in an informal settlement in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, utilizing recycled plastic as the primary construction material. The project transformed an old defunct drinking water fountain into a shaded recreational space. The structure was built of beams produced of recycled plastic waste and the concrete blocks used in the landscape design were cast in reclaimed five-liter water bottles. Thereby, the project seeks to advance the principles of circular economy in construction while discussing the cultural heritage in the informal settlements in Maputo.
Approximately 75% of the population of Maputo lives in informal settlements. The public space in such areas is typically in poo... More
Project • By Casas Melhoradas • Parks/Gardens
Mafalala Baraza
Mafalala Baraza is a small-scale public space project in the historical informal settlement Mafalala in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. The project seeks to counter problems with street encroachment caused by lack of enforcement of urban regulation in the neighborhood. Situated in a context characterized by corrugated iron sheet houses dating back to the 1930s, a local family which had appropriated part of the public space by setting up walls outside their plot boundaries was offered a new wall if they agreed to give back the street space to the public. The project was carried out by Danish and Mozambican architecture students, who developed a multitude of designs, seeking to improve the quality of the public space. The designs were merg... More