Gianna Monteiro Farias Simões

The rehabilitation of vulnerable populations from informal settlements is not limited to the provision of formal housing; the challenges of adapting to the housing unit are diverse. Thus the aim of this study was to analyze how a vulnerable population adapts to serial housing, focusing on conflicts and spatial fragmentation. The field research involved on-site assessments, observations and semi-structured interviews inside 156 housing units in Brazil. The difficulties related to this adaptation are diverse: the reduced size of the areas in the housing unit and the lot; the difficulty of extending the housing unit; low-quality materials; the lack of a place or area to generate income; the lack of social ties with the neighborhood; the lack of privacy; spatial fragmentation with divisions and private constructions in non-occupiable areas of the lot (setbacks and clearances) and the invasion of public areas. The adaptation process to the formal, serial housing unit particularly involves conflicts among neighbors. One of the consequences of failing to adapt to “formality” is the sale or rent of the housing unit, with 19.0% of housing units of the sample being occupied by non-original beneficiaries.

The rehabilitation of vulnerable populations from informal settlements is not limited to the provision of formal housing; the challenges of adapting to the housing unit are diverse. Thus the aim of this study was to analyze how a vulnerable population adapts to serial housing, focusing on conflicts and spatial fragmentation. The field research involved on-site assessments, observations and semi-structured interviews inside 156 housing units in Brazil. The difficulties related to this adaptation are diverse: the reduced size of the areas in the housing unit and the lot; the difficulty of extending the housing unit; low-quality materials; the lack of a place or area to generate income; the lack of social ties with the neighborhood; the lack of privacy; spatial fragmentation with divisions and private constructions in non-occupiable areas of the lot (setbacks and clearances) and the invasion of public areas. The adaptation process to the formal, serial housing unit particularly involves conflicts among neighbors. One of the consequences of failing to adapt to “formality” is the sale or rent of the housing unit, with 19.0% of housing units of the sample being occupied by non-original beneficiaries.

Esse trabalho investiga as condições de conforto térmico na habitação de baixa renda, com foco nas intervenções dos moradores na edificação e as ações adaptativas. A pesquisa de campo compreendeu entrevista semiestruturada com residentes e monitoramento de variáveis térmicas. Quatro tipos arquitetônicos foram analisados, sendo 156 habitações. Vivendo em alto desconforto térmico (4 - 5,5° C acima da temperatura recomendada), os padrões de vida ficam comprometidos devido a modificações realizadas sem orientação técnica associadas a janelas e portas disfuncionais de baixa qualidade. Aos moradores restam estratégias adaptativas como: uso constante de ventiladores, dormir na sala, permanecer no exterior da habitação.

Social House (SH) residents usually make spatial adaptations. With no technical guidance, these modifications often compromise building performance. This article investigates the dynamics of modifications made to low-income houses and their consequences for habitability conditions. The data were obtained through on-site spatial mapping and a semi-structured interview. The study found modifications that expand the built area and a tendency to occupy the total area of the lot. The type of expansion with the greatest impact on the environmental quality of a house was predominant in the row houses (89.2%). The need for more space is confirmed by houses that have grown more than 30.0% up to over 70.0%. The study also identified a large number of removed windows, and expansions that confined rooms. Besides thermal discomfort, many rooms bear signs of unhealthiness, such as mold, lack of ventilation and sunlight, which have a negative impact on residents’ health. Extreme cases were found (G=12.1%), in which the access gate to the house is the only way of contact with the outside. Spatial adaptations in SH are recurrent and cannot be disregarded as they significantly compromise the health conditions in the houses under study.

The interaction of energy and buildings institutes a complex socio-technical system that influences the eudemonic well-being of the occupants. Understanding these drivers become even more necessary in impoverished areas where occupants struggle to avail essential energy services. The literature indicates that energy injustice can be addressed through provisioning of comfort, cleanliness, and convenience (3Cs) as critical cultural energy services in low-income areas. This study investigates the socio-architectural influence for slum rehabilitation housing (SRH) on cultural energy services that can promote distributive justice. The methodology adopts an empirical route using data from 200 household surveys from SRH in Mumbai, India, and João Pessoa, Brazil. A model between the 3Cs and socio-architectural elements was established using Firth’s binary logistic regression. The survey results showed that the SRH in Brazil had twice the appliance ownership as compared to the Mumbai SRH. There were distinct energy service preferences in the study areas, despite common poverty burdens. The empirical results showed that the lack of socio-architectural design elements like open spaces, privacy, and walkability in the study areas demanded specific comfort and convenience appliances as a counter-response. A critical policy implication drawn was on the need for socio-architectural inclusive energy planning for distributive justice in poverty. Mitigating rising energy demand through appropriate built environment design of slum rehabilitation housing can contribute to fulfilling the UN’s SDG 7 (clean and affordable energy) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities) goals.