3.1. Transition Shelter as a Process

And also, this is a kind of partial upgrade with reclaimed materials they have 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%.

In this section, it's highlighted that many homeowners in a certain area quickly started upgrading their shelters using materials that they were able to gather from previous sites or based on their own circumstances. Remarkably, 53% of them initiated these upgrades within just a month, which indicates a rapid response to their housing needs.

Imagine you decide to improve your room at home. You find an old bookshelf and some reclaimed wood in your garage. Within a short time, you reorganize and redecorate your space. This parallel demonstrates how homeowners are swiftly upgrading their shelters with available resources.

The priorities were first doors, second walls and third is windows, so the ventilation aspect.

Homeowners focused on specific priorities when upgrading their shelters. They prioritized installing doors first for security and convenience, followed by walls to create proper living spaces, and then windows to ensure adequate ventilation and natural light.

Think of building a fort as a kid. First, you add a door to get in and out easily, then you build the walls to protect your space, and finally you find holes or flaps for windows so you can see outside and let in a breeze. This is akin to how homeowners prioritize their shelter improvements.

And some beneficiaries bought their own timber for walls, doors and windows as we have seen in this complete set is in a timber. Others sold a plastic sheeting and hired the local artisans to build adobe walls.

Some beneficiaries took the initiative to purchase their own timber to enhance their shelters, while others opted to sell plastic sheeting they received to hire local craftspeople to build more robust adobe walls. This illustrates how beneficiaries are resourceful and proactive in enhancing their living conditions.

Picture using your allowance to buy supplies for a school project. Some students might buy new poster board (like timber) while others sell old supplies (like plastic sheeting) to afford hiring a skilled friend to help them make an impressive display (building adobe walls).

Some paid for the labour in kind using the tools they were given in the shelter kit and some sold their tools once shelters were complete to buy household furnishings.

Beneficiaries managed their resources creatively. Some used tools provided in their shelter kits to either do the work themselves or even paid locals for labor. Once their shelters were completed, they sold their tools to purchase other household items, showing adaptability and strategy in resource management.

Imagine you are given a backpack full of art supplies for a class project. You might use those supplies (tools) to create your project (do the work) and later sell them (once you're done) to buy snacks for your friends (household furnishings).

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.

The government recognized the success of these housing upgrades and decided to support the initiative further by increasing the size of shelter from 18 square meters to 20 square meters. They also moved towards permanent structures made of adobe and timber to provide more durable housing to citizens.

Consider a school that sees students rapidly improving their grades thanks to a new study program. The administration decides to expand the program (from 18 to 20 square meters) and change the materials used in the curriculum (adobe and timber) for better results.

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.

The term 'transition shelter' should be viewed as a process rather than a static concept. This means that improving housing is ongoing and dynamic, focusing on how homeowners adapt and personalize their living spaces over time.

Think of it like learning a new skill, such as playing an instrument. You don't just learn it once and stop; instead, you continuously practice and adapt over time (a process) rather than seeing it as just the end result of knowing how to play that song (a noun).

As what housing does for the user is more important than what it is. So, this is not a product, it is a process how man evolves, a house into a home.

It's emphasized that the true value of housing lies in its utility for the individual user rather than its market price. Housing is seen as a transformative experience where a simple structure (house) becomes a meaningful living space (home) through user engagement and adaptation.

Imagine a child’s drawing. It may not be worth much in the art market, but to the parents, it represents their child's creativity and growth. That personal significance (user value) outweighs any monetary value (market value).

And similarly, John Habraken supports on 3 levels of decision making; one is the tissue and the support which is the base building.

John Habraken identifies three tiers of decision-making in housing: 'tissue' refers to the overall urban fabric (the layout of the community), 'support' indicates the structural aspects of the building, while 'infill' is about individual choices made by residents within that structure. This categorization helps clarify how participatory processes can happen at different levels.

Think of a pizza. The dough represents the 'tissue' (base structure), the toppings you pick represent 'support' (the essential layout of ingredients), and the way you arrange those toppings is analogous to 'infill' (your personal touch to the pizza).

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