Taking on the challenge of how to house the urban poor, the project proposes a modular system of dwelling units for marginalized neighborhoods in the rapidly-growing city of Dhaka. The dwellings can easily adapt to the changing needs of their inhabitants and either grow or reduce according to the size of the family at a certain point in time. Moreover, the units can be dismantled when slum dwellers are evicted and reassembled in a new location. Made of bamboo and recycled materials, the dwelling’s modular components and panels are sufficiently light to be easily transported.

The fast pace of urbanization has produced considerable pressure on land in Dhaka which constantly squeezed out the service-providing population (monthly income USD 62-100/person) into areas with inadequate infrastructure and amenities, and sometimes poor security of tenure. During eviction, they lose their housing investment-thus poor becomes poorer or homeless.

Portable dwelling units can be a solution since following the announcement of eviction, dwellers can dismantle their units and move to wherever the government allows them to live. Modular structures provide the user with flexibility to make the unit adaptable (moveable, easy connections, component scale, collapsible, adjustable-user control, operable components, versatile-frame construction, allows change in future, exchangeable-multi-functional space, simplicity, legibility, loose fit, scalable-local material, known techniques, modular unit, dividable/joinable rooms) with any contextual change of Dhaka (airflow, daylight-windows and doors are re-locatable, adjustable roof allows ventilation).

These units can be arranged around a service block (shared toilet, bath, kitchen) any cluster configuration depending upon the site and context. Local industries and job opportunities may develop to produce modular components from bamboo and biodegradable recycled materials enabling users to build, maintain and repair their own units. Thus sustainable construction knowledge will disseminate among the users as well as sense of belonging will develop.

A multi-sited ethnographic study was conducted on four different low-income settlement areas of Dhaka (Korail slum, Kamrangirchar, Begunbari slum, Shonirakhra) to understand functional, cultural and psychological necessities of each community; develop a clear idea of personal finance, economic management, short- and long-term housing planning; conceptualize violated social and environmental issues and their consequences; and ensure community-people-participation in design.

Cost effective design solution tried to be achieved by reducing the cost of building materials; reducing the building time and considering involvement of the community in the building process. Energy conservation can be achieved through every stage of material lifecycle.