Speaker
Description
Introduction
The concept of flexibility, generally associated with the customisation of dwellings, has shifted to a more restrictive meaning, particularly in the context of housing emergencies. Temporary, mobile, modular, containerised, and prefab have become synonyms with flexible. In the Netherlands, flexwoningen (flexible housing) are primarily designed to accommodate migrant workers and are often characterised by containerised and temporary nature. These housing solutions, driven by efficiency criteria, allow employment agencies to exert control over workers' lives, regulating behaviour through inspections and warnings, while organizing shifts and transportation via algorithms. These practices reveal the oppressive nature of workers’ housing, where hyper-rationalised layouts amplify workers’ stress. The study examines the Roma community at De Witte Plas campsite, North Brabant, as an emblematic case of self-designed housing, which subverts corporate planning models in the Rotterdam-Venlo logistics corridor.
Sustained Thesis
The thesis explores the Roma community’s practices within broader theoretical debates on flexible housing and spatial justice emphasising their relevance to reimagine contemporary urban forms. Through practices such as self-planning, recycling and sourcing building materials, and negotiating labour conditions, the community challenges rigid models of workers’ housing imposed by employment agencies. By actively reshaping the logistical systems that govern their lives, the community embodies Adrian Forty’s concept of ‘flexibility as a political tactic,’ where architectural flexibility becomes a means of resisting the capitalist control of space, enabling emancipatory forms of living. Rejecting the compartmentalisation of life into rigid functions typical of flexwoningen designed to optimise profit and control labour, the community’s approach shows how workers’ housing can be reconfigured into adaptable, circular, ecological, and participatory frameworks that serve the inhabitants’ needs.
A key theme of this study is reconfiguration. The Roma community’s practices illustrate how logistical systems, designed to optimise profit and control labour, can be repurposed to serve the needs of marginalised groups. By subverting the conventional use of online platforms and supply chains, the Roma community transforms tools of corporate logistics into mechanisms of empowerment and sustainable development.
The study also identifies the Roma community’s methods as an embodiment of spontaneous order, a concept developed by Edwin Buitelaar. This contrasts sharply with the designed order typical in urban planning. Rather than adhering to strict, top-down regulations, spontaneous order relies on minimal and generic building rules, enabling the evolution of community spaces.
Methodology
The adopted method adopts a combination of field research and design-driven research. Data were collected through spatial analysis and field research, as well as a series of qualitative interviews at De Witte Plas campsite with the inhabitants, and with the Barka Foudation, an organisation supporting migrants experiencing homelessness, and FairWork, an NGO committed to aiding individuals facing exploitation. Additionally, a 12-minute documentary, filmed at the campsite in both formal and informal settings, provides a brief impression of community life.
Outcomes and Conclusions
This case study contributes to the debate on spatial justice, suggesting that the Roma community’s approach provides a tangible example of how marginalised groups can assert control over their living conditions. It challenges the prevailing norms of spatial organisation in the logistics corridor, illustrating an alternative paradigm where community needs and environmental considerations dictate the use of space and resources.
The findings demonstrate the Roma community’s ability to negotiate autonomy within the constraints of global logistics and racialized labour systems. Their housing practices, rooted in circular economy principles and participatory design, show how self-organised housing can create adaptive, fair, and resilient environments. This case suggests urban planning frameworks that prioritise community agency, flexibility, and ecology, offering a redefinition of justice and equity in spatial arrangements.
References
Forty, A. (2000) Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson.
Buitelaar, E. (2020) Maximaal, Gelijk, Voldoende, Vrij: Vier perspectieven op de rechtvaardige stad [Maximum, Equal, Sufficient, Free: Four Perspectives on the Just City]. The Hague: Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving.
Lyster, C. (2016) Learning from Logistics: How Networks Change Our Cities. Basel and Berlin: Birkhäuser.
Moroni, S. (2019) ‘The just city. Three background issues: Institutional justice and spatial justice, social justice and distributive justice, concept of justice and conceptions of justice’, Planning Theory, 19(3), pp. 251–267.
Scalbert, I. (2011) ‘The Architect as Bricoleur’, Candide. Journal for Architectural Knowledge, (04), July.
Toscano, A. (2014) ‘Lineaments of the Logistical State’, Viewpoint Magazine, Issue 4.
| Keywords | self-design; workers’ housing; flexibility; spatial justice |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
