Sue Vern Lai

Architecture and Dwelling Global Housing

Housing for the Women of Haors: A feminist social housing system

‘Housing for the Women of Haors’ is a social housing system resilient to climate vulnerabilities, advocating for socio-spatial equality for women and, in principle, replicable in other contexts. The system is the interaction between an existing wetlands landscape system, a building system, different temporalities and the dynamic nature of life in the Haors (the wetlands in North-East Bangladesh). It is not only designed FOR the women of Haors but enabled BECAUSE of the women of Haors.

The project follows five main scales: detail, dwelling, cluster, village and territory. Throughout the scales, a hierarchy of collective action is formed. This theory of ‘collective action’ drives the design of the system, empowering women and thereby achieving a myriad of positive effects such as increased nutrition of children, income diversification, increased biodiversity and wetlands conservation, etc. By targeting gender equality (SDG 5), there are positive benefits for all (SDG 1-17).

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