Casas Melhoradas

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson

COMPACT HOUSING IN THE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS OF MAPUTO

Casas Melhoradas

ARCHITECTS
Casas Melhoradas

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Johan Mottelson & Jørgen Eskemose

PHOTOGRAPHS
Johan Mottelson

AREA
230.0 m2

YEAR
2018

LOCATION
Maputo, Mozambique

CATEGORY
House

Text description provided by architect.

Casas Melhoradas is an applied research project on housing for low-income groups in the informal settlements of Maputo, Mozambique with a three-fold focus:

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson

- Developing alternative construction methods to improve the quality and decrease the cost of housing;

- Developing housing typologies that utilize space and infrastructure more economically to initiate a more sustainable urban development;

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson

- Engaging in the construction of affordable rental housing through public and private partnerships to scale up the impact of the project.

The project is carried out by the Institute of Architecture, Urbanism & Landscape, at KADK - The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Schools of Architecture, Design, and Conservation; the Mozambican NGO Estamos and Architects without Borders, Denmark.

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson

The project’s latest housing prototype was completed in 2018 and consists of a low-rise high-density row-housing typology with six dwellings on a plot where there would otherwise reside a single family. 

Accordingly, the project demonstrates how space and infrastructure can be utilized more economically and thereby counter urban sprawl and the growing infrastructure deficit.

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson

All the dwellings have small private outdoor areas with kitchens, as cooking is largely an outdoor activity in the informal settlements of Maputo due to the use of charcoal.

On the ground floor, the kitchens are placed on the verandas next to the street, adding a semi-private transition zone between the public and private.

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson

All kitchens are equipped with gas stoves to reduce air pollution and deforestation caused by the use of charcoal. The project has small common courtyards with shared bathrooms and laundry facilities.

The project has a green roof where an additional floor can be added, which ensures the project a robustness in case further urban densification should be relevant in the area. 

Furthermore, the evaporation from the roof improves the indoor climate in the dwellings. The project was built using locally produced compressed earth blocks

Thereby, the energy consumption in the construction process was reduced while adding the same red color tone of the local soil to the project.

Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
© Johan Mottelson


Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
First Floor Plan
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
Second Floor Plan
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
Elevation
Compact Housing In The Informal Settlements Of Maputo
Section A

Casas Melhoradas
T +45 30 131001
Casas Melhoradas
Maputo, Mozambique