After informal settlements had become linked to flooding, the low-income community of this riverside kampung cluster, dating back to the 1960s, was threatened with eviction. At the same time, the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights announced a call for proposals for a settlement improvement grant. Needing to compete with the government’s concept of a 15-metre riverbank clearance for an "inspection road", the community engaged with architects and academics. The resulting participative master plan, which won the funding, involved removing houses from riverside roads to create a linear community garden; renovating 127 house facades; installing a collective septic tank; and building a multi-family pilot house. A statement of what is possible for such a community enterprise, the pilot house has a concrete frame and brickwork infill at ground level, bamboo frames with thatch infill above, and PVC sheet roofing - all affordable, locally available materials that present the opportunity of working together.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
