Over the past two decades, rapid urban development in Addis Ababa has transformed the city’s physical and social fabric, often disrupting traditional ways of life and displacing low-income communities.

In response, the Addis Ababa Living Lab research project was initiated to develop alternative housing models through a participatory process with future residents. Supported by a long-standing collaboration between TU Delft and EiABC, and funded by NWO, the Dutch organisation for Scientific Research, the initiative designed by Mecanoo and RAAS architects explores how patterns of everyday life in informal settlements can inform more inclusive, adaptable housing.

The resulting prototype proposes a flexible grid-based system (3.60 × 3.60 m) that accommodates diverse household types and microeconomic activities. Each 2-level duplex unit (7.20 × 7.20 m) can evolveover time: functioning as one home, two small dwellings, or a combination ofliving and working spaces. Units interlock to ensure privacy,cross-ventilation, and spatial adaptability. Grouped around courtyards, thesedwellings prioritize communal life, resilience, and local identity. A system of columns and beams provides allopportunities for later changes and adaptations.

The materials for the façade infill and internal walls can vary, according to availability and costs. Different choices, like compressed earth blocks, straw panels, bamboo elements etc. will allow for clear and identifiable variation between the different clusters. Involving the (future) residents in both the choice and production of infill materials and finishes gives them opportunities for appropriating and customizing their dwellings. The project illustrates how architectural design can engage with indigenous typologies to support belonging and economic agency in arapidly changing city.

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