Dialogue 3: Equal Access to Shelter and Basic Services Affordable and Adequate Housing

The third session of Dialogue 3 addresses the different ways in which provision of affordable and acessible housing can be delivered for all segments of society, most specifically that best way to meet the aspirations and needs of low-income households. Traditional architectural practices can provide valuable understanding on how self-reliance and autonomy of construction can be reinforced in rural-urban tropical environments. From traditional housing knowledge, it is possible to derive lessons for the development of new construction materials that are affordable, environmentally friendly, culturally relevant and accesible to all. We can learn the qualities and properties of plants, the possibilities of climatic modification, the efficient management and use of resources, the acquisition of skills. Specifically to the urban context, such solutions are of outmost importance, as it reinforces the needs and aspirations of a community in an autonomous way and do affect the organisation of settlements. The identification of needs and aspirations is crucial for a strong policy on shelter for development, on affordable housing and overall sustainable housing which is directly linked to adequate housing. The current focus on provision of affordable housing focus on the physical infrastructure mostly, be it the housing itself or the urban infrastructure. If we want to provide houses that are more than shelters, that are adequate and provide quality of living, we need to understand traditional building types, which can only succeed if the needs and aspirations of the society are met. These needs are not just marked by physical infra-structure such as shelter from the elements, carrying for animals or storage of cereals. It can be symbolic needs, related to ancestral roots, religious and hierarchies within a community, or the need for identification with a site, or exchange. The key into traditional buildings is that is ‘perfected for need and not material terms alone’ (Oliver, P. 1983). Our research lies on assessing the sustainability/habitability of typologies and settlements of ‘Ribeirinhos’ commonly found in the Amazonas region (Brazil), the Kerala region (India), and the Kiribati islands (Pacific), using for that an integrated life cycle assessment framework, which takes into account cultural, economical, social and enviromental aspects.