Genesis Metropolis

This thesis explores self-build solutions in Bangladesh, a country experiencing rapid urbanisation, the erosion of rural building traditions, along with a shortage of qualified architects. It draws on rural construction practices and Christopher Alexander’s pattern theory to provide people with tools to build safely and competently for themselves, reducing the need for extensive input and oversight from architects. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, and in urban areas, many are forced to live in informal settlements. According to a survey by the Commonwealth Association of Architects, there is only one architect per 50,000 people in Bangladesh. At the same time, rural traditions that once enabled self-building are being lost—or are no longer applicable—in dense urban contexts, where more modern materials and techniques are often necessary.