Abstract
This paper explores how participatory design can reshape educational infrastructure in Kibera’s informal settlement by centering local knowledge and challenging top-down architectural expertise. It documents Condition_Lab collaboration with Amani Kibera and Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) to co- create a community library and textile workshop. Through hands-on workshops with children, residents, and local stakeholders — using methods like model-making, storytelling, and material prototyping — the project redefined design hierarchies, transforming community members into co- designers. The study reveals how such collaborations not only produce culturally rooted infrastructure but also redefine design processes themselves. By bridging professional standards with informal practices, the project demonstrates how equitable outcomes emerge when communities co-author their built environments. This work offers practical insights for architects and NGOs seeking to foster meaningful participation in marginalized urban contexts, proving that inclusive design begins by listening to those who will use the spaces every day.
Keywords
Participatory Design; Vernacular Architecture; Community-driven Prototyping; Informal Settlements
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1096
Citation
Ling, P.W., Ferretto, P.W., Lam, M.Y.,and Liu, Z.(2025) Co-Designing Futures: Vernacular Knowledge in Kibera's Educational Infrastructure, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1096
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 6 - Co-creation
Co-Designing Futures: Vernacular Knowledge in Kibera's Educational Infrastructure
This paper explores how participatory design can reshape educational infrastructure in Kibera’s informal settlement by centering local knowledge and challenging top-down architectural expertise. It documents Condition_Lab collaboration with Amani Kibera and Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) to co- create a community library and textile workshop. Through hands-on workshops with children, residents, and local stakeholders — using methods like model-making, storytelling, and material prototyping — the project redefined design hierarchies, transforming community members into co- designers. The study reveals how such collaborations not only produce culturally rooted infrastructure but also redefine design processes themselves. By bridging professional standards with informal practices, the project demonstrates how equitable outcomes emerge when communities co-author their built environments. This work offers practical insights for architects and NGOs seeking to foster meaningful participation in marginalized urban contexts, proving that inclusive design begins by listening to those who will use the spaces every day.