A rehousing proposal for Gatsata, developed alongside SKAT Rwanda. The neighbourhood is one of Kigali's fastest-growing informal settlements, and the challenge was to design more than shelter: a framework that supports community life and can absorb growth over time.
The site holds 132 housing units across a landscape where 32% falls under agricultural zoning. Secondary roads were routed along the natural contour of the terrain, working with the topography rather than cutting across it.
The central move was a green corridor running from the river to the forest, branching into the building clusters as it goes. This became the social spine of the neighbourhood: a continuous public space for movement and gathering. Commercial uses are placed along the main roads; residential units sit on the upper levels, separating the two rhythms.
The most important decision was to build for change. Rather than a fixed delivery, the proposal uses a modular system where units can grow vertically as families grow. The combinations range from a 21m² studio to one-bedroom and boutique commercial units. Residents are not given a finished home: they are given a starting point they can shape.
132 units, designed to scale with the city around them.
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