Abstract
As a result of the criticism of the conventional Western-inspired prototypical designs for lowincome public housing in Egypt, a new trend in design for this sort of housing, represented by the “Mubarak National Housing Project for Youth”, has been adopted by the professionals in recent years. If the main objective of any housing project is to meet user needs and preferences, has the design of the Mubarak housing project achieved this goal? and to what extent does this project differ from previous public housing schemes?. In an attempt to answer these questions, and speculate on an appropriate design approach for low-income people in Egypt, multi research methods have been adopted within the research discussed in this paper. The research reveals that the Mubarak project is, to a large extent, designed in the same rigid way as previous public housing schemes. The design process, in which any real changes should take place, remains intact. While it has been argued that users' needs could not be met without their active participation in the design process, this research indicates a wide gulf between this notion and the attitude of designers. Despite this, a considerable percentage of the users involved in the research believe that their participation in the design decision-making process is fundamental.
Citation
Ahmed, K., and Parry, M. (2002) Design for the urban poor in Egypt: satisfying user needs or achieving the aspirations of professionals? The case of the Mubarak National Housing Project for Youth, in Durling, D. and Shackleton, J. (eds.), Common Ground - DRS International Conference 2002, 5-7 September, London, United Kingdom. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2002/researchpapers/3
Design for the urban poor in Egypt: satisfying user needs or achieving the aspirations of professionals? The case of the Mubarak National Housing Project for Youth
As a result of the criticism of the conventional Western-inspired prototypical designs for lowincome public housing in Egypt, a new trend in design for this sort of housing, represented by the “Mubarak National Housing Project for Youth”, has been adopted by the professionals in recent years. If the main objective of any housing project is to meet user needs and preferences, has the design of the Mubarak housing project achieved this goal? and to what extent does this project differ from previous public housing schemes?. In an attempt to answer these questions, and speculate on an appropriate design approach for low-income people in Egypt, multi research methods have been adopted within the research discussed in this paper. The research reveals that the Mubarak project is, to a large extent, designed in the same rigid way as previous public housing schemes. The design process, in which any real changes should take place, remains intact. While it has been argued that users' needs could not be met without their active participation in the design process, this research indicates a wide gulf between this notion and the attitude of designers. Despite this, a considerable percentage of the users involved in the research believe that their participation in the design decision-making process is fundamental.