Espacios de vida espontáneos: las casas autoconstruidas de Sao Paulo (Brasil), Hong Kong (República Popular China) y Pemba (Mozambique)

Self construction determines a consistent part of the urban landscape of cities, especially in countries that are now living their development and urbanization. Self-built houses rise from need, in short time and with limited economical resources. Whether they result legally formal or informal, there is the tendency to consider them as temporary elements of the urban fabric, even though in many cases they become its constituent part. Therefore, the research considers, surveys and analyzes these houses as integral part of the urban fabric, both to provide documentation to this aspect of the urban growth and to understand the culture of living that is reflected in them. Spontaneous Living Spaces considers self-built houses as fundamental elements that express the culture of living on a social, community, family and private level. In methodological terms, Houses are mapped on site in their spaces and functions through a set of representation tools (photography, video, sketches, architectural and urban drawings for a typo-morphological analysis, diagrams, interviews…). The mapping deeply involves the local community with its inhabitants with whom it is crucial to develop a trust relationship to enable the houses interiors survey. The research was born in 2011 and up to date consists in three case studies: Jardim Filhos da Terra a favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Pok Fu Lam, a low density neighbourhood in Hong Kong and four selected neighbourhoods of Pemba, Mozambican intermediate coastal city.