NLÉ Shaping the Architecture of Developing Cities Phone +31 748 361 575 [email protected] www.nleworks.com Brouwersgracht 821 1015GK Amsterdam The Netherlands MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL RESEARCH REPORT – APRIL 2012 SUPPORTED BY MAKOKO IS A COMMUNITY ON WATER. FOR NEARLY 100 YEARS IT HAS THRIVED ON THE FISHING AND SAWING INDUSTRIES – PROVIDING OVER A THIRD OF LAGOS’ FISH SUPPLY AND MOST OF ITS TIMBER. IT IS A HIGHLY DENSE AND URBANIZED AREA, YET IT HAS NO ROADS, NO LAND, AND NO MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE. MAKOKO IS AN INNOVATIVE AND CONTEMPORARY MODEL FOR COASTAL AFRICAN CITIES. MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 1 MAKOKO Photography : Ade Adekola MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 2 CONTENT INTRODUCTION 4 1 URBAN AND INFRASTRUCTURAL 11 2G Waste Management and Sanitation 116 ISSUES 2H Ideal Standalone System 119 1A Challenges and Conditions 12 2I Other Makoko Building Projects 123 1B How Makoko is Perceived 31 2J Conclusions 125 1C Life in Makoko 40 1D Project Location and Access 46 3 SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND 140 1E Sanitation, Sewage and Waste 54 EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE Disposal Systems SCHOOL AND BUILDING USE 1F Ecological impact on Marine Life 57 3A School Program, Schedule and 142 Teachers 3B Community Programs, Social Patterns 145 2 ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH 67 and Cultural Events OF APPROPRIATE BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES 4 LAND AND WATER USE 152 2A Makoko Building Techniques: Learning 68 (REGULATIONS AND POLICIES) From Makoko 4A Makoko Land Legality, Ownership and 153 2B The Ganvie Experience 72 Jurisdiction 2C Building Materials Supply, Local 77 4B Lagos Inland Waterways and 154 Availability and Durability Jurisdiction 2D Flotation & Anchoring Technoogy 82 4C Applicable Building Regulations, 155 Principles Permits/Waivers, Rights and Licenses 2E Alternative/Reusable Energy Systems 92 and Installation 2F Water Supply, Storage and Treatment 102 Systems MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 3 MAKOKO Photography : NLÉ MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 4 INTRODUCTION Makoko community has adapted its lifestyle to its In response to this, we propose to develop a environment and has become a ‘city’ on water. Floating School for the community. This school will meet the immediate needs of the community, It builds wooden houses on stilts and at the same time be a new building for adapting transportation is by canoes only. Although an to the imminent impact of climate change. informal settlement, it is believed that about 100,000 people now call Makoko home. Due to Our proposal of a floating building addresses the impact of climate change, rising sea levels, different issues regarding flooding, poor building increased rainfall and flooding are becoming day- structures and land titles. The project will also to-day reality for people of Lagos and other world provide a flexible multi-use space which can cities under similar coastal conditions. be used outside of school hours by the entire community for a range of purposes. With its current building quality and stilt construction, Makoko is better prepared, RELATED NEWS ON MAKOKO yet not completely spared. Although overall living conditions are very poor and modern 1. BBC documentary: Welcome to Lagos: infrastructure is not available, the people of Episode 2 Makoko’s adaptation to their environment offers 2. Aljazeera documentary: Street Life in Lagos valuable insights for addressing the imminent 3. TIME article: Intelligent Cities challenges of rapid urbanization and climate 4. Nigerian Tribune article: Amphibious change in coastal cities. Residents of Makoko 5. The Guardian article: Images of the Within Makoko a nursery and primary school Community of Makoko facility was built, not even on stilts, but on reclaimed land. The consequences are now RELATED NEWS ON FLOODING: uneven settlement and recurrent flooding of the school building, which hinders children’s access 1. BBC article: Nigeria floods to their basic need — an education. The last 2. BBC clip: West Africa meets for climate talks flooding occurred in October 2011. MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 5 WHAT WE ARE DOING KEY BENEFITS NLÉ is developing a floating school for Makoko. 1. Supports the immediate educational needs We began engaging the community through of children comprehensive survey questionnaire, conducting 2. Provides a flexible space and a multi-use research and conceptualizing designs for the facility for the larger community needs school as a self-initiative in May 2011. Now, with 3. Poverty alleviation strategy: through the support of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, we have integrated social development and gainful funding for further research and documentation employment of local skills and technologies of the school, the evironment and the community 4. Addresses challenges of climate change: needs. mitigates urban flood risks and disasters 5. Furthers the development of water Our proposal for the Floating School is a bulding settlements as an attractive and that is self-sustaining and adaptable for other contemporary way of living building typologies—homes, community centres, 6. Ecologically/Environmentally friendly and playgrounds—to gradually cultivate an improved responsible in energy use/building systems. quality of architecture, urbanism & living on water. 7. Addresses challenges of rapid urbanisation: densification of inner city core We would appreciate support or collaboration for 8. Re-usable modular building prototype that 3 outstanding phases of the project to realise the increases the urban housing stock through project by May 2012 (before the onset of heavy affordable, good quality, flexible housing rains). 9. Identifies and unlocks an alternative to reclamation of land as urban assets. 1. Concept Design & Research (Funded by 10. Creates opportunities for international NLÉ) knowledge exchange and professional 2. Detail Research & Documentation (Funded practice by Heinrich Böll Stiftung) 3. Design Development and Construction Please contact [email protected] for more Supervision information, collaboration or support. 4. Building Construction & Operations cost 5. Post-occupancy Evaluation MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 6 MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL CONCEPT DESIGN Art wall (placeholder for student project) inspired by Yinka Shonibare MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 7 Location is suggestive only MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 8 INDIGENOUS ECOLOGICAL LOCAL MATERIALS SELF SUSTAINING ECONOMICAL ADAPTABLE MOVABLE Location is suggestive only SAFE MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 9 FLOATING COMMUNITY Location is suggestive only MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 10 URBAN AND INFRASTRUCTURAL ISSUES 1 MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 11 1A CHALLENGES AND CONDITIONS Photography: Ade Adekola MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 12 MAJOR URBAN MAJOR SOCIAL COMMUNITY CHALLENGES COMMUNITY CHALLENGES BUILDING TECHNOLOGY WATER SUPPLY EDUCATION AND MANAGEMENT SANITATION AND ELECTRICITY HEALTH & SECURITY WASTE MANAGEMENT Source: NLÉ questionnaire kindly responded to by inhabitants of Makoko MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 13 MAJOR ISSUES RESIDENTIAL STATUS OF – Flooding 100 MAKOKO INHABITANTS – Insecurity 90 – Disease (malaria) 80 – Waste accumulation 70 – Inadequacy of the drainage network – Poor energy connection 60 – Land ownership issues 50 – The dominant housing type is wooden houses/ PERCENTAGE 40 TENANT shacks (35%) followed by one-storey concrete OWNER SQUATTING bungalows (22%) 30 – A large number of Makoko residents are 20 tenants 10 – 10% of Makoko residents own their house – 50% of households comprise of 4 – 6 persons 0 MAKOKO – Most Makoko residents live there because of existing family ties 100 PERCEPTION OF FLOOD – Major flooding occurs 3 – 4 times per year OCCURENCE BY MAKOKO 90 – Flooding lasts up to 4 days INHABITANTS – Rivers overflow due to blockage caused by 80 improper waste disposal 70 – 75% of residents observed no change in 60 frequency of flooding events1 50 – 60% of respondents in Makoko have been 2 PERCENTAGE living there between 2 and 10 years 40 – 73% of respondents had no education above VARIABLE DON’T KNOW NO CHANGE 30 secondary level3 20 1 Adelekan, Ibidun O. Vulnerability Of Poor Urban Coastal Communities To Climate Change In Lagos, Nigeria 10 2 Adelekan, Ibidun O. Vulnerability Of Poor Urban Coastal Communities To Climate Change In Lagos, Nigeria 0 3 Ibid. MAKOKO MAKOKO FLOATING SCHOOL — AFRICAN WATER CITIES PROJECT 14 – Major occupations are fishery and trade 100 EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF Some work in government employment and as MAKOKO INHABITANTS 90 artisans – Around 19% are unemployed1 80 – The land is owned by one large landowner 70 (Olaiya Family) 60 – Only 7% have legal title of ownership2 50 OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGE 40 CIVIL SERVANT ARTISIAN TRADER FISHERMAN GOVERNMENT WHARF WORKER UNEPLOYED STUDENT 30 – Most Makoko residents claim that the process 20 of obtaining legal title is expensive and laborious. 10 – The titles of ownership known to most of them 0 are the building plan and land registration. MAKOKO Most do not have these documents (see table). – The interviews show that most of the respondents simply do not see the importance of legal title in light of the quality of the buildings and the general environment. The existence of approved building plans is refuted by the government officials in the ministry. According to them, approved records