Cornell students walked through Mathare 4B, an informal settlement in Nairobi, with community members, colleagues from Slum Dwellers International–Kenya, and peers from the University of Nairobi as part of a site visit.

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Reimagining informal housing in Mathare, Kenya

In collaboration with the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities, Slum Dwellers International, and the University of Nairobi, Informal Futures: Housing in Mathare, Kenya, a fall 2024 design option studio led by Architecture Assistant Professor Felix Heisel, invited Architecture and City and Regional Planning students to address the challenges and opportunities presented by informal housing — specifically focusing on Mathare, the oldest and second-largest informal settlement in Kenya. In response to growing population density, housing insecurity, and inadequate access to core urban infrastructure and services, the students worked in partnership with residents and organizations on the ground to reimagine housing that would provide resilient and dignified living spaces. 

These explorations included fieldwork in Nairobi in late September, during which students observed life in the settlement firsthand.

The studio was made possible with the financial and administrative support of the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities and the knowledge and connections shared by Slum Dwellers International–Kenya throughout the course, site visit, and project review process.

International studio courses are not easy, but they offer the most incredible learning opportunities. I am grateful that faculty, like Assistant Professor Felix Heisel, are willing to take on this 'heavy lift' and that we have the most amazing partners. Slum Dwellers International have the local relationships that allow students unprecedented access to the sites and interaction with residents. 

Professor Victoria Beard, Director of the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities

Alejandra Domenica Siguenza Polo (B.Arch. '25) takes notes during a site visit to the informal settlement of Kibera, where students met with community elders to learn about their railway housing structures, an alternative to the approaches often used in Mathare.

Continue exploring this photo essay on the Architecture, Art, and Planning website.

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