The Wall as Commons

Author

• Raveena DeshpandeFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-22-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Architecture (MArch)

Department

Architecture

First Advisor

Surella Segu

Second Advisor

Trevor Herman Hilker

Abstract

Collective infrastructures for informal domesticity 

As urban populations grow, access to affordable housing declines, pushing certain sections of the population to build informal settlements outside legal and formal construction systems. These settlements often lack access to basic living infrastructures - water, sanitation, and electricity- even as they house a large share of the population in developing countries.

Current models of designing for informality exist as top down planning approaches, that ignore lived realities at the scale of the home. These design models are incongruent with informal lifestyles, and undermine the sense of belonging that comes with rituals of self-authorship in space making that exist in such settlements.

This thesis proposes an alternative: repositioning design for informal housing as a wall- a tool to articulate growth through collective infrastructure that delivers minimum essential utilities (water, electricity, drainage, sewage) for domestic stability, while facilitating self building of homes along the wall, preserving inhabitants’ belonging and ownership. It also imagines the wall as a way to introduce public amenities such as play areas, work areas that such organically growing settlements lack.

Recommended Citation

Deshpande, Raveena, "The Wall as Commons" (2026). Masters Theses. 1624.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1624

Creative Commons License

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