Affordable Housing Design – 3RD Aspect “Clustering”

Cluster Meaning

Clustering
Cluster
Action of brining things together, organizing
them in groups of elements that have
something in common with each other and
something different in other groups
Noun Verb

To come to together
A number of things
into one body or
considered as a unit
place
 Cluster Meaning

Clustering in housing design is a

key strategy for the composition
of built element in space rather
than juxtaposing thins next to
each other and repeat that
process over and over again
what we call “ rubber stamping “
or the “cookie cutter approach”

Clustering promotes a
meaningful relation between
elements

It has the potential to create a

clear spatial hierarchy and
aggregate elements according to
different pattern of association at
different scales A group of dwellings can be organized to create community clustering
 Cluster Meaning

A group of dwellings
can be organized to
create community
clustering

Different community clusters may be associated to create a neighborhood

 Cluster Meaning

Cluster of different neighborhoods can be groped to create a township

 Cluster City

The concept of cluster city started

in 1950s

It was defined as “ A close knit

complicated often moving
aggregation but an aggregation
with a distinct nature

‫تم تعريفه على أنه "تجمع متماسك معقد وغالبًا ما‬

‫يكون متحر ًكا ولكن تجميعًا ذا طبيعة مميزة‬

Or
It can be defined as sensitive
articulation of number to promote
amore harmonized habitat for the
masses

‫يمكن تعريفه على أنه تعبير حساس للعدد لتعزيز‬

‫موطن أكثر تناسقًا للجماهير‬
 Cluster City

Recommendation for the design housing clusters (From habitat bill of rights)

• Dwelling should be planned in clusters related in size to the optimum grouping of residents who cab recognize
and know their neighbors and whose children play together

• The cluster should be designed to be in harmony with the culture of its locality

• The cluster should be supported by communal facilities and amenities in proportion to its size and location
within the neighborhood

• It should not be thought of in isolation but as an interconnecting element of a large community

• It is a key strategy to establish meaningful relationship between individual household and a larger community
 Dar Lamane housing

• The project was developed in the

1980s by the General Real Estate
company

• Designed by the architects Abdelaziz

Lazrak and Abderrahim Charai

• The project won Aga Khan Award for

Architects in 1986

• Location: Casablanca, Morocco

• 600 * 600 meters

The structure of the project resembles a

traditional Moroccan Town but it is
different in form and expression
 Dar Lamane housing

The project challenges

The architects were confronted with

a brief to design over 4000 housing
unites to be constructed cheap and
fast

The future residents would be

people with a rural or nomadic
background not used to modern
city life

The architects based their planning

and design approach on groping of
hosing units into clustering where
people would feel safe and
connected to their community
 Dar Lamane housing
Cluster Concept in the project

The architects developed a general Education facilities & Kinder garden

scheme on the basis of a hierarchy
of public spaces

Education facilities & Kinder garden

Mosque & Festival Hall

Sports field

Education facilities & Kinder garden

 Dar Lamane housing
Cluster Concept in the project

The perimeter of the square is

formed by six hosing clusters called
“Dars” traditional Moroccan parallel row of attached apartment
houses with shops on ground floors buildings
 Dar Lamane housing

The architects interpreted the

design assignment as a problem
of defining Form

The architects decided to

• Height
limit the height of housing to 4
floors with a few expiations This
defines the general character of
the township
 Dar Lamane housing

The architects interpreted

the design assignment as a
problem of defining Form

The architects decided to

• Walls
Long walls form a
arrangement of clusters
and with the introduction of
arcades (one of the most
characteristic feature of
Moroccan architecture the
arches ) with different
shape and colors
 Dar Lamane housing

The architects interpreted

the design assignment as a
problem of defining Form

The architects decided to

• Shaped facades

The individual homes can

be recognized with the se
of steppes facades,
balconies and protruding
windows frames

• Staircases
Inside the clusters the
prominent open staircases
act as vertical extension of
the pedestrian
 Dar Lamane housing

The architects interpreted

the design assignment as a
problem of defining Form

The architects decided to

• Gateways between
clusters and the arches
Dar lamane housing
Connecting the hosing
blocks and marking the
entrance to the inner
courtyards