by Johanna Strauß

“We visited lots of different dwelling areas, from slum areas to resettlement areas as well as middle-income areas”

We are students from Lund University who took part in a design project called “Architecture in Extreme Enviroments.” Our studies were structured in three parts: a pre-study in Sweden, a field study for four weeks in the Philippines, and a design period back home in Sweden for another three months.

In the pre-study period, teachers provided us basic knowledge about the people, tradition, architecture, politics, and trends of the country. During the field studies in the Philippines locals provided further information and reflections in lectures which were very inspiring. We had the chance to interview local people from the government, organizations, and inhabitants of different areas. We were able to understand the Filipino way of life and the requirements related to architecture. At the same time we visited lots of different dwelling areas, from slum areas to resettlement areas as well as middle-income areas and high-income “resorts.”

For my design project, I was inspired by the micro-climate in informal settlements. Walking through these areas, I often felt better climated because of the small and narrow pathways as well as lots of shading devices even if it was just hanging clothes.
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