2.2. Partnerships and Support

And also, this is a kind of partial upgrade with reclaimed materials they have the developed with the kind of whatever, they have able to procure from the past site or with their feasibilities, they have made some modifications to their shelters. And within a month 53% of the house owners have started to upgrade their shelters and this is very quick, within a month if this kind of change is 53%. The priorities were first doors, second walls and the third is windows, so the ventilation aspect.

Many households have quickly begun upgrading their shelters using reclaimed materials. Within a month, over half (53%) of house owners have started this upgrade. The improvements focus primarily on critical aspects: first, they prioritized upgrading doors for security and access; second, they focused on walls for structure and insulation; and third, they worked on windows to improve ventilation.

Imagine a student quickly improving their study room—first they replace the old door to make it safer, next they add new walls to block out noise, and finally, they install larger windows to let in fresh air and natural light. Just like this student, the households are making their space more comfortable and useful.

And some beneficiaries bought their own timber for walls, doors and windows as we have seen in this complete set is in a timber. For the outset and used the plastic sheeting provided to the line of the walls, so they covered with a kind of partial covering with a plastic sheet. Others sold a plastic sheeting and hired the local artisans to build adobe walls.

Beneficiaries demonstrated creativity by purchasing their own timber to improve their shelters. They also used plastic sheeting to partially cover their walls. Some opted to sell this plastic to hire local artisans who helped them build more permanent adobe walls. This highlights how individuals can leverage available resources creatively to meet their needs.

Consider how a group of friends might pool their money to rent a skilled cook for a party instead of cooking themselves. In this case, the beneficiaries are like those friends; they are resourceful, trading what they have (like plastic sheeting) for services (like skilled labor) to enhance their homes.

So, they have given it back and they sold it in the market and they could able to get some money and they could able to put some more money and built the adobe walls and so this whole process you know, it’s all showing up an incremental process depending on each household what kind of economic feasibility they had.

The upgrading process is incremental, meaning households make gradual improvements based on their financial ability. By selling materials, they generate funds to invest back into their homes, like building stronger adobe walls. This approach reflects each household's unique situation and resources, reinforcing the concept of personal agency in the improvement process.

Think of a gardener who starts with a few plants. As they learn how to care for them, they sell some flowers at a market and use the money to buy better soil or more seeds. Similarly, these households improve their shelters as they expand their financial capabilities over time.

So, with this, the government have understood that yes there is a possibility that to scale up this process. So, now what they did was they developed from 18 square meters to 20 square meters and the permanent walls of adobe and timber and they launched the project build about 40,000 low cost houses. So, by the end of March 2009, it is about 16,240 were built and mainly with the partnership of UNHCR and MoSSP.

The success of these upgrades prompted the government to scale up efforts, increasing the size of shelters and initiating a larger project to build 40,000 low-cost houses. By March 2009, over 16,240 houses were constructed thanks to partnerships with organizations like the UNHCR and MoSSP, ensuring comprehensive support for housing solutions.

Imagine a school realizing how well its students are doing with a new teaching method. They then decide to implement the method school-wide, allowing more students to benefit from it. In this case, the government extends successful housing strategies to a larger number of people, just like a school spreading effective teaching practices.

But when you talk about the theoretical understanding of it, you know as I said you in the beginning transition shelter is not a noun, it is a verb, it is a process. So, as Christopher Alexander describes a house is an activity which is ‘created gradually, as a direct result of living which is happening in it and around it’ by people who spend only what they can afford.

The underlying theory of transitional shelter is that it is not merely a fixed structure but an evolving process shaped by the inhabitants over time. Christopher Alexander highlights that homes are created through ongoing activities and the daily lives of people, reflecting their economic realities and personal choices.

Think of a chef who perfects a recipe over time. They adjust flavors, ingredients, and techniques based on feedback and experience, much like families adapt their living spaces based on needs and circumstances. Their homes, like recipes, become refined versions of initial ideas.

And similarly, John Habraken supports on 3 levels of decision making; one is the tissue and the support which is the base building. The tissue refers to the urban fabric and the support refers to the base building and the fitout refers to the infill, what the people have done in their houses and the tissue tends to remain the same because it’s a larger content and the supports will change with time and infill will change more regularly.

John Habraken identifies three levels of decision-making in housing: 'tissue', 'support', and 'fitout'. 'Tissue' refers to the overall urban environment, 'support' is the structure of buildings, and 'fitout' is the interior design and improvements made by residents. The urban tissue remains largely unchanged, whereas the support and fitout can evolve over time to meet community needs.

Think about how a city might maintain its parks (the tissue) while allowing individual homeowners to paint their houses any color they choose (the fitout). Over time, as families move and renovate their homes, the support structure (like the roads and sidewalks) may also evolve to accommodate new changes, mirroring how communities adapt to individual needs.

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