Location: Karachi, Sindh
Size: 1080 SF
Year of Completion: 2021 (Built)
Design Team: Zohaib Zuby, Mohsin Yar Khan Yusufi
Photography: Sadia Aaminah, Zohaib Zuby
Description: Wallah’s House is a successful experiment in Affordable Housing within an urban slum in Karachi. The project was co-financed (home-owners and donors), and co-designed with the stakeholders (home-owners, contracting team, while sourcing technical design expertise on a pro-bono basis). The construction makes use of local materials, technology and skill. The project remains sensitive to its wider cultural ethos, and immediate context, in terms of its architectural devices and aesthetic. In an attempt to incorporate sustainable design practices the structure comprises a very small footprint, with ample semi-open spaces for natural light and ventilation. It also provides the users with an option to incrementally build another storey upon the existing structure, as per their needs. The project won the “Highly Commended”, in the UIA 2030 Award, in partnership with UN Habitat, in the category of SDG 11.1 (ADEQUATE, SAFE & AFFORDABLE HOUSING).
