This work has been realized during the summer workshop ‘Mapping the Informality’. The research team and the students were involved in the realisation of two temporary urban design interventions: a children’s playhouse and a basketball court for the community. Along with CUHK students, the workshop also involved a group of architecture students from UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur. One of the objectives of this design-build initiative was to involve residents in different stages of our work. 

Although the participatory process was not specifically conceived to ‘design with the community’, the engagement with local inhabitants allowed students to experience community dynamics first hand and at the same time allowed the research team to test and discuss the implementation of small-scale projects in the district. The meshing of students and residents allowed for translating and incorporating community ideas into these experimental urban interventions. 

The children’s playhouse was designed to adopt basic passive design principles so as to provide a cosy space where the kids could stay safe. Constructed mostly out of coconut wood, a renewable resource readily available in BaSECo, the roof and the façade constitute a unique architectural element that allows for natural cross ventilation through large openings, which also provide a comfortable shaded space when temperatures peak during the day. The space is furnished with shelves, which provide additional structural support, as well as a modular system of seats and tables. The kids took ownership of the building from the very beginning of the construction stage. Once finalised, they started to climb up the façade and the roof, suggesting an interesting design idea to be incorporated into future plans. 

The children’s playhouse and the basketball court were built over the course of six days of hard work with an overall budget of 72,500 PHP (approx. $1,500 US), combining the funds allocated by CUHK and UCSI University. After five weeks of usage, the construction was dismantled, and a large part of the construction materials were recycled. Even though the impact of this project has not been empirically assessed, according to Kabalikat (the community associations partner of this project), who observed the daily activities on-site, the intervention was certainly appreciated by residents.