Building A Patchwork of Resilience

The quality of life and dwelling conditions of the Shonatola village community, living in a peri-urban settlement outside of Sylhet city, is under significant threat. The Shonatola villagers experience significant housing challenges, infrastructural barriers and economic insecurity due to climate-induced environmental distress and the impacts of Sylhet city’s sprawling urban development on their way of life. This research investigates how a situated participatory housing design approach can be applied to improve dwelling conditions of the Shonatola village community. This project proposes a three phase design approach to address the defined research question. Phase one addresses infrastructural upgrades to the existing community; phase two confronts a reactive approach to in-situ housing improvements to the existing village and phase three proposes a proactive design approach to densify the Shonatola settlement by expanding west, beyond the current village limits. This results in three reactive and two proactive design schemes. This project provides a systematic method for development, by offering housing solutions which promote and uplift villagers within Shonatola by improving their current living conditions and supporting their ability to keep living on the land they have lived for generations, while also addressing the need for future expansion and densification of this peri-urban site.