Rural communities in developing countries show a socially inclusive, resilient, and self-reliant model for their housing, despite the lack of individual capacities. However, due to scarce opportunities, many people move to the cities, often returning to challenging living conditions. As a result, both urban and rural inhabitants struggle to reach the desired living standards and well-being. This article explores general capacities of rural inhabitants in Kenya and identifies what shortages prevent inhabitant well-being within their housing. Outcomes of the interviews performed on two hundred families (four communities) evaluate whether the different communities still build housing by themselves, if they would like to continue this ‘self-reliant model’, or would prefer professionals ro realize their housing. The conclusion indicates that inhabitants would prefer to build housing by themselves and exposes why these communities change to ‘external’, housing solutions. Housing alternatives which lie within their capacities, play a crucial role in sustaining the communities’ self-reliance in relation to their housing.@en

This research project focuses on how decisions made by practitioners, articulating rural housing in Sub-Sahara Africa, contribute to the decreasing level of self-reliance inhabitants have regarding their housing. Multiple case studies on Mt. Elgon proved that inhabitants have a significantly higher self-reliance level, comparing traditional to modern housing. To study this phenomenon in practice and to articulate suitable design support the Design Research Methodology was chosen. The research clarification pinpointed inhabitant capacities as the key-contributor to self-reliant housing. Household survey outcomes proved that large numbers of rural inhabitant’s desire housing which they have insufficient capacities for. Indicating that the inhabitants experience a disparity between existing and desired housing capacities, moreover an inability to bridge this disparity independently, and consequently require external help. Architect seemed most appropriate to offer this help as it consist of sociocultural, engineering and design tasks. Architects are not trained in inhabitant capacity evaluation and as no suitable design tools existed, this research project developed the required design support, its application requirements and the impact measurements. These were then tested in a pilot project on Mt. Elgon. The findings were used to evaluate the support’s impact and suitability. The support tool users found it suitable to assess and integrate inhabitant capacities into housing solutions. The impact shows that the support group families have sustained their family’s level of self-reliance unlike the control group. The developed technological design, with modifications, could be used not only in rural Kenyan communities, but also help others around the continent.@en

The most fundamental struggle for realizing a sustainable built environment still lies in the use of non-renewable resources in its articulation. Although efforts have been taken to increase the use of sustainable materials the vast majority of the building sector still relies heavily on depletable resources. This article debates that the most fundamental contributors to sustainable development are the evaluation and incorporation of inhabitant capacities. Evaluating the available natural materials, inhabitant skills and tools could play a fundamental role in creating sustainable solutions. However, inhabitant capacity-models insufficiently cover all instrumental capacities into one model (both inhabitant and community). Therefore, this article describes: a framework for evaluating inhabitant capacities; how to map available resource capacities; how these capacities can be incorporated into sustainable housing development and planning. The framework was developed as a part of a support tool, which helps designers and engineers to evaluate inhabitant capacities. To describe the framework and support tool a rural Sub-Saharan community is used, as their capacities are relatively less complicated compared to a ‘western’ context. The article concludes that the framework shows great potential in reducing the use of unsustainable materials. Furthermore, that it could enable social sustainability by creating self-reliant and resilient communities.

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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present an extensive household survey amongst four rural communities on Mt. Elgon Kenya. The area is the chosen area for the author’s overall PhD research. In order to offer the inhabitants of Mt. Elgon suitable housing support, the purpose of this paper is to assess the gap between existing housing capacities and compare those to desired housing capacities. Design/methodology/approach: The research combined a survey method with an interview setting. The survey helps the interviewer to structure and register given answers. The interview allows the inhabitant to ask questions or make suggestions. Findings: The research finds that the two communities with financial restraints are unable to articulate improved housing (within their existing capacities) without external help. For the two communities with less financial restraints, the research finds that they struggle to maintain, extend or replicate housing solutions without external help. Originality/value: The size (200 households), type (purpose, design and approach) and locality of the research are uncommon frameworks to understand inhabitants’ needs toward their built environment. The value, therefore, not only lies in the design of the evaluation framework, but also in the findings that indicate that this is a successful way to conduct this type of research in a vulnerable context. Hopefully providing other researchers in the built environment with an applicable framework.

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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the quasi-experiment setting to test the formulated design support (developed in the author’s PhD research) within a design research methodology (DRM) framework. This support intends to help designers to consciously engage rural families within a development aid scenario and increase their self-reliance towards their built environment (housing). Design/methodology/approach: This paper elaborates on the setting in which the design support was tested within a quasi-experiment. The literature section describes the challenges in design research and why the DRM is suitable for this type of empirical research. Findings: Findings of the paper include a workable setting to organise and evaluate the impact of a design support within a DRM framework on a vulnerable rural community. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the research lies in the study population. Due to financial and time constraints, only four teams could participate in the experiment conducted in rural Kenya. Social implications: Further research will need to prove that the support works in comparable situations on the African continent. Originality/value: The quasi-experiment setting within a DRM framework could benefit researchers in comparable empirical investigations.

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Changing climate conditions and depleting resources are becoming more important on the global agenda, the paradigm shifting to understand which means (resources) are necessary to generate future well-being. Unfortunately, the formal built environment remains the most polluting global industry and due to its conservative character seems difficult to change. Most undertaken efforts focus on improving characteristics of material, construction and processes in technology seeking the ability to solve all contemporary environmental problems. This article argues that in the informal rural African built environment examples of other attitudes towards the same goals can be found, providing many sustainable solutions that have a circular process and are based on local renewable materials. Rural communities perceived as a multitude of communities of practices, with a collective (sustainable) intelligence towards their built environment can provide a circular, sustainable, self-reliant and resilient model for the built environment. This article argues that in order to articulate sustainable 'local' solutions, the inhabitant's self-reliance is of vital importance, therefore stating a need for a model to evaluate what affords the inhabitant's self-reliance and how this model could be used as support for the 'expert' to evaluate the inhabitant's capabilities towards their built environment. This article uses the rural locality as a case study with the intention for subsequent global (urban and rural) application.@en

Searching for better opportunities and exponential population growth have forced many rural inhabitants in developing countries to urbanize. Thousands of new “informal” houses are built every day to accommodate these people around the world. Due to the lack of land, financial capacity and planning these areas become particularly dense informal housing districts. The scarcity of social and spatial organization in slums is leading to degradation of the living standard and security. This article argues that one of the main reasons for these problems seems to lie in the relation between private, semi-private and public spaces organization. The article starts by situating the problem within a global context and the magnitude of self-build informal housing. Secondly, explaining the different levels of public private relations found in rural self-build practice by observing a local family on Mt. Elgon. Here the importance of transitional spaces to the sense of security is explained. Thirdly, identifying the lack of spatial negotiation and organization in urban informal housing (Nairobi) in Kenya. The article concludes by describing the importance and possible improvements.@en

The most fundamental struggle for realizing a sustainable built environment still lies in the use of non-renewable resources in its articulation. Although effort has been taken to increase the use of sustainable materials (bio based, C2C, etc.) the vast majority of the building sector still relies heavily on steel and concrete. This article debates that the most fundamental contributors to sustainable development are the evaluation and incorporation of inhabitant capacities. Evaluating the proximity of available natural materials, inhabitant skills and tools could play a fundamental role in creating (social) sustainable societies and environments. However, inhabitant capacity models insufficiently cover the various capacities into one model (both inhabitant and community). Therefore, this article describes: a framework for evaluating inhabitant capacities; how to map available resource capacities; how these capacities can be incorporated into sustainable housing development and planning. The framework was developed as a part of a support tool, which helps designers and engineers to evaluate inhabitant capacities. To describe the framework and support tool a rural Sub- Saharan community is used- their capacities are relatively less complex compared to a ‘western’ or urban context. Moreover the articulated built environment is relatively uncomplicated. The article concludes that the framework shows great potential in reducing the use of unsustainable materials. Moreover, that it could enable@en

The rural housing studio is a studio dedicated to help underprivileged rural families in developing countries. The targeted communities know what type of housing they would like to live in, however, they are unable to design and engineer them without external help. Regular development aid offers ready built solutions without involving the inhabitants and their communities into the process. The rural housing studio offers internship (BSc) and graduation positions (BSc & MSc) to students, who will advise and inform rural families to build their desired housing together with their community. Ultimately it is suppose to generate self-reliant and resilient communities with improved houses, which do not depend on development aid programs anymore. The studio is lead by researcher and architect Michiel Smits (PhD candidate) who has been working as a pro bono architect since 2004 in the rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and has an extensive expertise in helping rural communities.@en

This study investigates how externally initiated development projects and the role of the architect may influence the self-reliance of a local community. The development aid for rural communities aims to improve the living quality, but often does not persist in the long run. The article is based on the author's experience and field research on a rural Sub-Saharan community and was gained during his work for Mt. Elgon Orchards ltd. (Mount Elgon, Kenya 2009-2014). During this period, the inhabitants were relocated from their traditional dwellings to the " new village " which was based on non-local materials and construction methods. Before the relocation, the community of Mount Elgon, Kenya, was largely self-sufficient and lived in a self-planned-, self-built and self-maintained environment. The results of the study show that, due to the use of external design, materialization, planning and construction methods in this recent major (externally initiated) intervention, the community of Mount Elgon finds itself increasingly incapable to maintain its built environment. The paper focuses on both direct factors (e.g. material and methodology) and indirect factors (e.g. social and cultural consequences, that have an influence on the self-reliance of the community).@en