Dar Lamane Housing

This low-income residential community for 25'000 people consists of over 4'000 units organised around a large central square in which the mosque, markets and festival hall are located. Surrounding this central area on three sides are six housing clusters made up of parallel rows of attached four- and five-storey apartment blocks separated by pedestrian streets that give access to all buildings. Entrances face each other and open staircases act as communal balconies. The planning and design approach was based on the observation that for low-income, formerly rural or nomadic people, public space, pedestrian networks and the interrelation of housing groups are more important than the design organisation of the individual units. Furthermore, safety and security were seen to be of great importance.