Studio 12

Jealous City

Ursula Chandler | Global Socio-Political Focus

Studio Description

“Since they were jealous of us, they tore down ours” Designing for a new economy: How can architecture help redesign wealth disparity and the negative outcomes of rapid urbanization in developing countries? Ethiopia is undergoing one of the fastest rates of urban growth in the world, largely due to an escalation of the rural exodus migrating to the capital, Addis Ababa. Rated by the Bloomberg Group in 2019 as the world’s 5th fastest growing economy, largely spurred on by Chinese investment in infrastructure and manufacturing Addis Ababa is a city in transition. As wealth has come into the city since 2000, the government has initiated waves of evictions in inner city neighborhoods, clearing away what they describe as dilapidated housing with poor sanitation – 80% of the population live in ‘slums’ and only 7% of households are connected to a sewage system. Some residents have been allowed to return through an affordable housing programme, however, the quantity is insufficient and the mortgage repayments for the new dwellings too expensive for many.

Studio Outcome

Selecting a site in Addis Ababa’s we will propose a new housing/ accommodation complex and other program which addresses the evolving economic situation as well a bank and public space. We will aim to provide solutions beyond those evident in the banking and housing typologies, creating hybrids for an evolving city. The studio will be broken into 3 submissions;

1. Research: 4-week research phase, focused on informal urbanism and the current and emerging economic landscape of Ethiopia.
2. Construction Strategy: 2-week material and building strategy phase, which addresses the Ethiopian construction context and will be submitted as a series of physical models and detailed drawings.
3. Proposal: A final research proposal, centred on a new housing typology for Addis Ababa.

As the cities population and wealth escalate, we will outline how architecture can allow existing and evolving communities to co-habit and how development can contribute to an existing city fabric and pattern, not eradicate it.

Studio Leader

Ursula has been practicing in London since 2012, returning to Australia in 2018 to establish Ursula Chandler Architects. The practice was short-listed for the National Gallery of Victoria Architecture Commission Competition in 2019 and is driven by the concept that architecture creates possibility. Ursula has worked on projects across Australia, the United Kingdom and Africa. Most recently, as a Project Lead working directly under Sir David Adjaye at Adjaye Associates (London) on the practices Africa Portfolio including the National Ghana Cathedral, Internal Finance Corporation Head Quarters Senegal and Hallmark House in Johannesburg. Prior to that Ursula was employed at Studio Octopi and in Melbourne at Robert Simeoni Architects and Bates Smart.

Travel Victoria | Week 2 | $100

Schedule Mondays 15:15-21:15 in MSD Room 213

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