Co-Living with Seasonal Migrants: Sustainable Transformation of Low-Income Housing, Chanpara | Architecture Thesis on Migrant Housing

Site Context

Chanpara, situated near Dhaka and the industrial belt of Narayanganj, exemplifies the complex realities of seasonal migration. Its affordable housing and proximity to employment opportunities attract migrant workers, yet the area struggles with inadequate living conditions, poor utility services, and social challenges such as drug abuse. The government’s proposal to replace the settlement with high-rise buildings threatens to displace residents, dismantle rental-based livelihoods, and disrupt the existing local economy.

This situation reflects broader patterns observed across informal settlements in the Global South. From Latin American favelas to South Asian slums, top-down redevelopment projects—such as high-rise resettlements—often fail to resolve underlying issues of social inclusion, economic stability, and service accessibility, ultimately deepening marginalization.

A more sustainable and inclusive approach lies in upgrading existing communities rather than displacing them. In the case of Chanpara, this involves improving housing and infrastructure to support both permanent and seasonal residents.

Design Process

Homestead Level: Rapid and efficient construction should be prioritized to minimize the time residents are displaced and to reduce overall building costs. Designs must maintain clear privacy between the main house and rental units to ensure comfort and allow for future expansion. Each homestead should also meet minimum space standards and guarantee access to essential utilities such as water, sanitation, and electricity, even within compact layouts that support both livability and sustainability.

Cluster Level: At a broader scale, the neglected open spaces between houses—often controlled by local groups and used for unsafe activities—should be reclaimed and redesigned as safe and productive community areas. Reorganizing homesteads can transform these spaces into zones that encourage social interaction, shared activities, and collective safety, turning underused land into vibrant public spaces that strengthen community ties.

Energy Sufficiency: Homestead designs should incorporate solar panels and efficient water management systems to promote energy independence and address the area’s severe sanitation challenges.

A Practical, Community-Centric Alternative: Instead of constructing high-rise buildings, a sustainable and inclusive approach should focus on upgrading existing homesteads to accommodate seasonal migrants while improving living standards for permanent residents.

The proposed framework emphasizes:

• Affordable Utility Access: Ensure the availability of clean water, sanitation, and renewable energy solutions designed around community needs.
• Drug Rehabilitation and Community Safety: Collaborate with NGOs to address drug issues through education, rehabilitation programs, and community policing.
• Flexible Rental Systems: Introduce formalized rental agreements and shared housing models that benefit both landlords and seasonal tenants.
• Sustainable Construction Practices: Utilize locally sourced, eco-friendly materials and climate-resilient designs that integrate with the local environment.
• Participatory Planning: Actively involve both residents and migrants in the planning and decision-making process to ensure solutions reflect their lived experiences and priorities.

Final Outcome

Design strategies to address the needs of seasonal migrants and Chanpara residents should begin at the unit level. The process starts by designing individual households that meet specific functional needs, ensuring that spaces are efficient, practical, and suited to residents’ daily lives. Once these individual units are well-resolved, they can be replicated and organized into clusters. The cluster design should emphasize safe and accessible communal spaces. Neglected or unmonitored areas—often sources of criminal activities—must be a central focus of the design to enhance safety and build a stronger sense of community.

In Chanpara, where crime remains a serious issue, transforming these abandoned areas into active and shared community spaces can help reduce social problems. Through thoughtful spatial design, issues such as crime can be addressed effectively, improving the overall well-being of residents.

This strategy follows a bottom-up approach, starting with the small-scale design of individual plots that respond directly to the functional requirements of residents. As these individual homes are replicated and grouped into clusters, broader community challenges, including safety and crime prevention, can be gradually addressed. By focusing on practical, unit-level solutions and then scaling them up, the design can successfully meet the needs of both seasonal migrants and permanent Chanpara residents.

Future Upgradation of the Community: The development of the cluster model has the potential to reshape the upbringing of future generations. Under the current system, children are often exposed to drug abuse, violence, and social neglect—witnessing women being harassed and young people becoming involved with drugs from an early age. Since children learn from what they observe, growing up in a healthy and secure environment is crucial for building productive and successful futures.

Therefore, the government’s goal of creating a child-friendly environment can be achieved not through high-rise developments but through low-cost, community-based housing improvements. The sectional and axonometric perspectives illustrate how these upgraded clusters can promote vibrant, healthy, and cohesive communities, shaping a better future for Chanpara’s residents.

Conclusion: Ultimately, by applying responsive design strategies grounded in stakeholder consultation and household priorities, not only can housing challenges be solved, but wider community issues can also be mitigated. This approach offers a sustainable and holistic solution to the complex social and infrastructural problems in the area, making it an effective intervention for vulnerable populations.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]