A modular housing framework designed to grow with its residents
Housing Units
132
Site Area
4.2 ha
Min. Unit Size
21 m²
Partner
SKAT Rwanda
Challenge
Gatsata is one of Kigali's largest informal settlements. The rehousing brief, developed in partnership with SKAT Rwanda, was not simply to replace existing structures with new ones; it was to design a neighbourhood framework that could support a growing community over time, in a context where construction resources are limited and resident incomes are variable.
The core constraint: the units needed to be affordable at first delivery, while providing a genuine path to improvement. A small, poorly built unit that cannot change is not a solution. A small, well-built unit that can grow is.
Approach
The design process began with a mapping exercise: existing buildings, movement patterns, agricultural land, drainage routes, and community facilities. This revealed a neighbourhood structure that had organised itself around practical logic: paths follow the easiest routes, social activity concentrates at nodes where paths cross. The design works with this existing structure rather than replacing it.
The green corridor was the primary move: a continuous open space following the natural drainage route from the river edge to the forest above. This corridor becomes the social spine of the neighbourhood, with community facilities, play spaces, and market areas positioned along it. The secondary roads branch from the main access route along contour lines, minimising cut and fill.
The modular unit system starts at 21m²: a studio apartment, complete and habitable. The structure is sized for a building that can reach three storeys. The services are distributed to allow a second unit to be added on the first floor without reopening the ground floor structure. Different module combinations produce different unit types, from the studio to a 2-bedroom family apartment to a small commercial unit on the ground floor.
Outcome
The proposal was submitted to the City of Kigali and SKAT Rwanda in early 2025. A pilot phase of 24 units is under review for funding approval. If the pilot proceeds, it will test the modular system at small scale before committing to the full 132-unit programme. The pilot site has been identified; land tenure is being confirmed.
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