Rethinking Rinkeby transforms formalised and separated streets into productive natural spaces. Through engagement and observation on site, this strategy for public space proposes an urban architecture informed by bottoms-up initiatives. Rinkeby, a suburb located in Järva in the North-West of Stockholm, has typically been informed by top-down developments. Through alternative design processes, this degree project aims to improve the expression of identity in the public realm in a predominantly immigrant neighbourhood.

Concerns about anthropogenic climate change, fossil fuel depletion, energy security, and damage to our ecosystems are acting as a catalyst for action in many sectors of industry and society. One key sector which has been identified as crucial for addressing these issues is the building sector. Therefore, in the UK context, with the aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the requirements for new homes in terms of their energy efficiency are becoming ever more stringent, leading to the introduction of the zero carbon homes standard from 2016. Alongside this, broader priorities for sustainable development have been established in the UK, with a focus on the creation of sustainable communities. These are communities which support the diverse needs of residents and provide a good quality of life whilst protecting the natural environment. The literature suggests that the volume housebuilding sector is failing to meet housing demand in terms of either quantity or quality. Furthermore, it is apparent that the sector is failing to respond to voluntary stimuli for the delivery of zero carbon homes. Thus, it is with an overall aim of supporting the delivery of zero carbon homes and sustainable communities that this thesis has been undertaken. The UK Government suggested in 2011 that self-build homes, in which the occupant is involved in either building or commissioning the home, are more likely to be affordable, energy efficient and innovative than open market housing. Self-build housing accounts for only around 10% of new homes built in the UK, and group self-build is a small proportion of this. The UK Government has an aspiration to double the size of the self-build sector, with an expansion in the group self-build sector, over the decade to 2021. Literature on the self-build sector is limited, and that on the group self-build sector even more so. Indeed, gaps in knowledge in terms of the motivations for and benefits of group self-build exist. There are also gaps in knowledge in terms of the barriers to group self-building and ways in which the expansion of the sector could be best supported. Furthermore, existing literature on drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding is limited and fails to gather opinions from the broad range of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes. With the aim of addressing these gaps in knowledge, three complementary studies were conducted with an element of focus on the region of Cornwall, in South West England. With the aim of exploring opinions of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes regarding zero carbon homebuilding, a series of 34 semi-structured interviews was undertaken within the first study (Perceptions of zero carbon homebuilding). The second study was undertaken with the aim of investigating professional and expert opinions on the suitability of group self-build as a development model for zero carbon homes and sustainable communities (Self-build perceptions). This investigation employed the Policy Delphi method, an iterative, non-contact group research process in which data was gathered from participants through three rounds of online questionnaire surveys. This second study was formed of two concurrent studies; one employed a panel of national participants within England, the other a panel of regional participants within South West England. The third and final study aimed to explore the experience-based opinions of group self-builders through a series of 11 in-depth interviews (Group self-build reflections). The three studies are presented independently. However, each subsequent study is built upon the knowledge gained in the previous study. Within the final chapter of the thesis, the results are brought together and triangulated through a consideration of how the findings coalesce to cast light on the three central concepts of zero carbon homes, sustainable communities, and group self-build housing. The findings from this research identify and elucidate a number of themes of drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. Themes of drivers include: legislative, economic, social responsibility, individual, and industry. Themes of barriers include: economic, skills and knowledge, industry, legislative, and cultural. Multiple potential support mechanisms for the delivery of zero carbon homes were also identified. The findings highlight the need for a cultural shift in the housebuilding industry, reducing the over-reliance on volume housebuilders. A broad range of benefits and motivations for group self-building have been identified and explored. However, whilst a strong appetite for environmentally sustainable development amongst group self-builders is established, this research casts some doubt on the central assertion that group self-build homes will be more energy efficient than speculatively built homes. Differences between the individual and group self-build sector were exposed both in terms of the motivations and the barriers faced. This thesis demonstrates how the benefits of group self-build housing serve to help create sustainable communities, and how they also serve to address some of the barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. The findings of this research demonstrate that group self-build housing offers a significant number of potential benefits towards the delivery of zero carbon homes and the creation of sustainable communities.

This thesis chronicles my experiences with developing a panelized wall system for use by Habitat for Humanity and with testing that system in the design and construction of a house. Presented as a series of narratives, it follows the progress of the project from August 2003 to December 2005. Described is my motivation to test my theories through design and construction, the applicability of prefabrication to Habitat for Humanity’s use of unskilled volunteer labour, the incorporation of panelization into the design of a house for the Waterloo Region affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, the prefabrication of preclad wood framed wall panels for this house by students at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, the erection of these wall panels on-site, and the completion of the house to a weathertight state. The thesis concludes with discussions of the understanding I gained through my experiences, the necessity for further development and testing of the panelized wall system, and the future use of prefabrication by Habitat for Humanity.

This thesis chronicles my experiences with developing a panelized wall system for use by Habitat for Humanity and with testing that system in the design and construction of a house. Presented as a series of narratives, it follows the progress of the project from August 2003 to December 2005. Described is my motivation to test my theories through design and construction, the applicability of prefabrication to Habitat for Humanity’s use of unskilled volunteer labour, the incorporation of panelization into the design of a house for the Waterloo Region affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, the prefabrication of preclad wood framed wall panels for this house by students at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, the erection of these wall panels on-site, and the completion of the house to a weathertight state. The thesis concludes with discussions of the understanding I gained through my experiences, the necessity for further development and testing of the panelized wall system, and the future use of prefabrication by Habitat for Humanity.

This research takes a social constructivist approach to investigate the relationship between people’s perceptions of disaster risk and their responses in disaster-prone cities of the Global South. This is important because the effects of risk perceptions on the ways that people respond to disaster risk remains unclear and has been labelled ‘weak’ within the disaster studies literature. Furthermore, this lack of clarity has contributed to the marginalisation of people at risk from contributing to interventions that address disaster risk, which this research finds problematic. Therefore, a better understanding of how people perceive their risk and how this shapes their responses would help inform more effective and multi-scalar interventions to address disaster risk. The research takes place in three adjacent neighbourhoods of Cochabamba city, Bolivia. Within this ‘case site’, the house is used as a methodological tool to investigate how people’s risk perceptions shape their responses to disaster risk. In particular, the research explores how risk perceptions influence the way people design and construct self-build houses in order to reduce their risk of a disaster. The focus on housing construction represents a novel way of exploring the relationship between risk perceptions and disaster risk-reduction behaviour. The research takes place in the context of persistent, low-intensity natural hazards that are linked to disaster risk which incrementally increases over time. This marks a shift away from the many studies that investigate rapid-onset, extreme hazards that quickly overwhelm people’s capabilities and which are associated with crisis and urgency. Additionally, the research is concerned with small-scale disasters, which again marks a shift away from the disaster studies literature which principally focuses on large-scale disasters that result in many casualties, large economic loss and which affect a large geographical area. The research ultimately shows that whether a risk perception is high or low is not the most important factor; rather, it is an individual’s awareness and understanding of disaster risk that encourages long-term and anticipatory strategies that require significant investments in the house. Furthermore, the research argues that research which describes the relationship between risk perceptions and responses as ‘weak’ forecloses the nuances and complexity of human behaviour in disaster-prone contexts because it does not capture the subtle yet important ways that risk perceptions shape responses.

There is a need to counteract economic injustice in the world. As an architect, as a creator, it is my responsibility to make the world a better place. I want to help people to help themselves by concentrating their efforts in a constructive way. I desire to create a prototypical solution for a village in an area with high unemployment and desperate poverty as a means to give work to people and to serve as an example for other groups of people wanting to do the same. The site I've chosen to illustrate this concept of self-help housing is a 300 x 500 meter plateau in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. / Master of Architecture

Essa pesquisa teve como ponto de partida a ameaça de extinção de um espaço que reúne seis campos de futebol de várzea na cidade de São Paulo. Trata-se do Complexo de Campos de Futebol do Campo de Marte, instalado em um terreno que há décadas é disputado pela Aeronáutica (União) e pela Prefeitura da cidade. Inicialmente, buscou-se articular esse conflito específico a uma questão mais ampla: o que fazia com que o futebol de várzea, prática cuja trajetória é marcada pelo fim de vários de seus espaços, continuasse ocupando um papel relevante como modalidade de lazer e associativismo popular na cidade de São Paulo? Partindo da perspectiva dos varzeanos que construíram os seus campos nesse terreno a partir dos anos 1960 e que, desde então, lidam com a possibilidade de terem que deixar esse espaço, chegou-se a apreensão de uma lógica interna que rege essa prática e sua profunda conexão com o contexto social em que se inserem. O futebol de várzea, para esses varzeanos, só seria viável pela abnegação de seus personagens, uma postura necessária para a conquista e manutenção de um universo que se constrói, sobretudo, a partir de ações de autoconstrução e de constantes negociações. Tanto em sua dimensão espacial, onde a figura do abnegado ocupa um papel central por resolver, dentro de seu clube e no campo varzeano como um todo, muitas das questões impostas pela política do Estado de não proporcionar o direito ao lazer e ao esporte, assumindo, por um lado, as vezes de instância auto reguladora, e por outro, de provedor de infraestrutura e mediador de interesses. Como em sua dimensão esportiva, onde sem a presença de uma instituição ou entidade que tenha se estabelecido ao longo de sua trajetória como organizadora e reguladora dessa prática, essa tarefa foi levada a cabo pelos próprios varzeanos a partir de múltiplas alianças e referências. / This research had as a starting point the threat of extinction of a space that gathers six football fields of várzea in the city of São Paulo. It is the Complexo de Campos do Campo de Marte, installed in a land that has been disputed for decades by the Aeronautics (Union) and by the town council. Initially, we tried to articulate this specific conflict to a broader question: what made várzea football, a practice whose trajectory is marked by the end of several of its spaces, continued to play a relevant role as a leisure modality and popular associativism in Sao Paulo City? Starting from the perspective of the Varzeans who built their fields on this terrain from the 1960s onwards, and since then they have dealt with the possibility of having to leave this space, we came to the apprehension of an internal logic that governs this practice and its deep the social context in which they are inserted. Várzea football, for these Varzeans, would only be viable due to the abnegation of their characters, a posture necessary for the conquest and maintenance of a universe that is built, above all, by actions of self-construction and constant negotiations. Both in its spatial dimension, where the self-sacrificing figure occupies a central role within his club and the Varzean camp as a whole, many of the issues imposed by the State\'s policy of not providing the right to leisure and sport, , on the one hand, sometimes as a self-regulatory body, and on the other as an infrastructure provider and mediator of interests. As in its sporting dimension, where without the presence of an institution or entity that has established itself along its trajectory as organizer and regulator of this practice, this task was carried out by Varzeans themselves from multiple alliances and references.

Submitted by Viviane Lima da Cunha (viviane@biblioteca.ufpb.br) on 2016-06-27T13:50:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3160425 bytes, checksum: 23c498b403c2dbf5a646d8eae9154d9c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-27T13:50:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 3160425 bytes, checksum: 23c498b403c2dbf5a646d8eae9154d9c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-04 / This dissertation aims to analyze Law 11.888 / 2008, Law of Public Technical Assistance, which gives instructions about the access to architecture and engineering technical services for population that has an income from 0 until 3 minimum wages, understanding that its effective use can become an important tool in the exercise of citizenship. The research initially rescues the consolidation of the Brazilian housing problems, including the practice of self-build house, as well as all historical formulation process by which passed the aforesaid Law, from initial discussions until its actual publication. Then, a systematic analysis of the major barriers to its use in municipal, state and federal levels is performed. The work continues with the presentation of some cases of application of the law in some municipalities, pointing out examples of good practice as well as some cases of failure, in order to extract, from this survey, important information to underlie future proposals. The research makes an approach to the object of study in the State of Paraíba, where ve municipalities are selected for analysis in situ, with the objective of demonstrating the level of information about the Law 11.888 / 2008. To complement the theoretical framework collected in the survey, it sought the position of the CAU – Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (Board of Architecture and Urbanism), both federal and state level, to verify which actions could be supported by this Board and how it can subsidize the multiplication of practices or programs of public architecture and Engineering, not only in Paraíba State, but also in the whole national territory. Finally some practical guidelines and conjunctural analysis of the entire panorama presented in this work are outlined. Thus, this dissertation seeks to contribute to the effective application of the Law 11,888 / 2008, in order to that this important Law does not become a dead letter, but an effective instrument to access a constitutional right, what contributes to exercise citizenship and to built a just city. / A presente dissertação objetiva analisar a Lei 11.888/2008, Lei da Assistência Técnica Pública e Gratuita, que predispõe sobre o acesso a serviços técnicos de arquitetura e de engenharia para um público de renda de 0 a 3 salários mínimos, entendendo que sua efetiva utilização possa se tornar uma importante ferramenta no exercício da cidadania. A pesquisa resgata inicialmente o processo de consolidação da problemática habitacional brasileira, inclusive a prática da autoconstrução, assim como todo o processo histórico de formulação pelo qual passou a referida Lei, desde os primeiros debates até sua efetiva publicação. Em seguida, é realizada uma análise sistemática dos principais entraves à sua utilização nos âmbitos municipal, estadual e federal. O trabalho prossegue com a apresentação de alguns casos de aplicação da referida Lei em alguns municípios brasileiros, apontando exemplos de boas práticas como também alguns casos de insucesso de forma a extrair, a partir desse levantamento, importantes informações para subsidiar futuras propostas. A pesquisa faz um recorte do objeto de estudo no Estado da Paraíba, onde são selecionados cinco municípios para análise in loco, com o objetivo de demonstrar o nível de informação a respeito da Lei 11.888/2008. Para complementar o arcabouço teórico coletado na pesquisa, buscou-se levantar o posicionamento do CAU - Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, tanto a nível federal como estadual, para vericar quais ações poderiam ser apoiadas pelo Conselho e como este poderia subsidiar a multiplicação de práticas ou programas de Arquitetura e Engenharia Públicas, não apenas em municípios paraibanos, como também em todo o território nacional. Finalmente são esboçadas algumas diretrizes práticas e análise conjuntural de todo o panorama apresentado neste trabalho. Desta forma, busca-se contribuir com a efetiva aplicação da Lei 11.888/2008, para que a Assistência Técnica Pública e Gratuita não se torne uma letra morta, mas um efetivo instrumento de acesso a um direito constitucional. Contribuindo, portanto, no exercício da cidadania e na construção de uma cidade mais justa.

[pt] Este projeto de pesquisa propõe analisar formas de participação e apropriação da laje, inserida no contexto espacial da favela, e tendo como estudo de caso o bairro da Rocinha, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. A dissertação investiga conceitos que subvertem noções tradicionais de conceituação espacial, e como se dá a autogestão dos moradores no que concerne aspectos relacionados com o uso da laje. No tecido urbano densamente ocupado das favelas, este espaço nas moradias pode funcionar como interface de interseção entre os limites do espaço coletivo e privado. Foram, portanto, investigadas as ações e intervenções dos moradores na laje através de um enfoque na observação de abordagens socioculturais nesse ambiente. Reconhece-se na laje um tipo determinado de apropriação urbana, identificando-a como uma alternativa dos residentes à escassez de espaços públicos livres em favelas. Podemos observar que ela é usada como local de práticas vinculadas a processos de autoconstrução e ao aluguel, evidenciando aspectos relacionados ao valor de uso e de troca da laje. No caso da Rocinha, tanto em seu cotidiano como durante a pandemia de COVID-19, observamos manifestações coletivas na laje associadas à atividades sociais múltiplas. O processo de pesquisa de campo também revelou a laje vislumbrada sob a ótica do morador, como um espaço de projeção de sonho. Tornou-se aparente nestes processos sobretudo um caráter descrito na pesquisa como natureza híbrida. Foram definidas como técnicas de pesquisa: revisão de literatura; pesquisa etnográfica online qualitativa; e pesquisa de campo pela participação em encontros de coletivos. / [en] This research project proposes to analyze forms of participation and appropriation of the slab, inserted in the spatial context of the favela, and having as a case study the Rocinha neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The dissertation investigates concepts that subvert traditional notions of spatial conceptualization, and how the residents self-management occurs regarding aspects related to the use of the slab. In the densely occupied urban fabric of the slums, this space in the dwellings can function as an interface of intersection between the limits of collective and private space. Therefore, the actions and interventions of slum dwellers are investigated through a focus on the observation of sociocultural approaches in this environment. A particular type of urban appropriation is recognized in the slab, identifying it as an alternative of residents to the scarcity of free public spaces in slums. We can observe that it is used as a place for practices linked to self-construction and renting processes, showing aspects related to the use and exchange value of the slab. In the case of Rocinha, both in its daily life and during the pandemic of COVID-19, we observed collective manifestations on the slab associated with multiple social activities. The field research process also revealed the slab glimpsed from the perspective of the inhabitant, as a space of dream projection. It became apparent in these processes above all a character described in the research as hybrid nature. The research techniques defined were: literature review; qualitative online ethnographic research; and field research through participation in collective meetings.

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo general determinar la calidad del concreto en obras de autoconstrucción de viviendas que se encontraban realizando en el Sector I del distrito de la Victoria y determinar si el concreto que se elabora en las obras cumplen con los requerimientos normativos. Dentro de esta investigación se desarrolló, analizando la calidad del concreto que se vinieron efectuando, evaluando así el día de los vaciados datos, a través de unas fichas, detallando los puntos de interés y tomando; así por cada obra se adquirió muestras de sus agregados y a su vez se realizaron 3 probetas en obra para conocer la resistencia diseñada de la estructura vaciada. Para el desarrollo de esta investigación se llevó a cabo un muestreo, en el cual fueron seleccionadas 10 obras que se encontraban en construcción. Se hizo una comparación entre los datos obtenidos en campo y el proceso constructivo que efectuaban los maestros para conocer si cumplían con los requisitos mínimos que nos da la Norma E 0.60. Finalmente, se llegó a la conclusión que el concreto que ejecutaban en el lugar de investigación no llega a la resistencia requerida de 210 kg/cm para elementos estructurales, debido a esto se propuso un diseño de mezcla con en volumen de baldes, así en basándonos en esa medida poder lograr obtener la resistencia requerida. Además de los errores que se encontraron en las construcciones, se efectuó una propuesta de guía donde indican los puntos clave para una correcta elaboración del concreto. / This research presents two general objectives: determining the quality of the concrete in selfbuild housing projects that were being carried out in Prolongación la Quintas, Zone I of La Victoria District, and checking if the concrete produced in these projects meet the regulatory requirements. On the one hand, in this study, a correct pouring evaluation on construction work was done through some forms that allowed detailing the points of interest, for instance, the dosage. On the other hand, samples of aggregates were acquired from each construction work, and in turn, 3 graduated cylinders were taken from it, which after being subjected to the respective tests, allowed to identify the designed resistance of the poured structure. For the development of this research, a sampling was performed in 10 previously selected construction works. Considering the E.060 standard, a data evaluation, obtained from the field research and the construction process executed by the master builders, was done in order to determine whether they meet the minimum requirements established in that standard. Finally, it was concluded that the concrete used at the research work site did not reach the required resistance for structural elements being 210 kg/cm2. Consequently, a mixing design was proposed, detailing the volume of buckets, to obtain the required resistance. Besides the malpractices found in the construction works, a guide proposal was made, in which key points for an adequate concrete fabrication are indicated.