From Shelter to Home: Creation of Home in Areas of Poverty and Scarcity

Areas of scarcity among third-world countries are often subject to poverty stemming from a various reasons. Focusing specifically on Minya, Egypt, extreme poverty is a result of a combination of factors. These factors include but are not limited to systematic targeting of religious minorities, lack of potable resources, lack of education among the region, poor transit and distance from employment opportunity, and governmental corruption. As a result, slum-like conditions arise within and directly outside the city of Minya, creating unsafe and undignified living conditions to people affected by poverty. These living conditions further the wedge between the poor and wealthy, preventing those in unfortunate circumstances of a chance out to a better life. While architecture may not be able to solve the root causes of systematic poverty, it can be explored in order to alleviate some aspects which further a divide. Housing which provides access to the basic needs of human life is a fundamental step in dignifying members of a targeted community. In areas of scarcity, such as the selected site, problems arise when attempting to create an affordable, livable, home. While aspects of each study were applied to the final design, main design methods were gathered from the incremental housing studies. This was done in combination with the comparison of Western versus Middle Eastern living standards, which introduced a less private model than typically found in Minya. By applied more shared/communal space, personal ties are formed between the inhabitants of the master-planned site. Through community, growth occurs