Adaptable Housing: A Sustainable Architectural Solution to Informal Settlements in the Caribbean

Abstract

This thesis explores design challenges and conceptual solutions as they relate to residential building forms within urban slum environments- specifically those found in the Caribbean region. It examines the roles of the house, form, and culture surrounding the place and people of Jamaica; using a comparative analysis of historical and current housing models to inform anew, this thesis proposes an economically and socially sustainable redevelopment plan for the house and the block in Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica. This culminating graduate project raises questions about the potential to formally design for informality, about the role of the architect in the community, and about the preservation of cultural identities made evident through the tangibility of the built environment. Above all else, this thesis advocates for the socio-economic growth of individuals and communities residing below the poverty rate, using architectural design and urban planning as a catalyst for advancement.