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Abstract

This article delves into the internal features of habitat in slum-like informal settlements, focusing on the challenges faced by the locale in the Mae Kha Canal informal settlements in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The study aims to clarify the dwelling characteristics as well as understand the interplay between housing and the living circumstances of the occupants. A mixed-methods approach was utilised, primarily employing field surveys, house investigation including arrangement and utilisation of space, and in-depth interviews with residents. A total of 80 households were sampled and analysed. The findings reveal that the previous relocation plans made by local authorities, which offered only a single room per family as a one-size-fits-all strategy, are not suitable for the current inhabitants' living conditions. Consequently, this article concludes with alternate suggestions for the forthcoming practical Mae Kha Canal Housing Upgrade project. It emphasises the potential of applying the idea of interiority to examine the distinctive interior conditions, thereby contributing to better dwelling design for the locals.

Publication Date

7-30-2024

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Submitted Date

2024-02-16

Accepted Date

2024-06-04

First Page

223

Last Page

250

Authors' Bio

Patcharaporn Duangputtan
patchar.dputtan@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4817-7940

Patcharaporn Duangputtan is a PhD student from Thailand at Saga University, Japan. She holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Architecture and a master's degree in architectural and urban design from Saga University. Her research interests include architecture design, participatory community-based approaches, as well as informal settlements and local dwellings. She is currently investigating low-income living conditions and housing characteristics in informal settlements adjacent to a city’s canal in her hometown of Chiang Mai.

Nobuo Mishima
mishiman@cc.saga-u.ac.jp
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9334-3058

Nobuo Mishima is a Professor of Architecture, Urban Design, and Planning at Saga University. He studied at Vienna University of Technology as an exchange student and then completed a PhD in urban engineering from the University of Tokyo in 1995. He is a member of the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) and has previously worked as a technician at Eto Shinchi Architect Atelier in Vienna and Osaka. His research interests include regenerative conservation design for the historic environment, and one of his important urban design works involves preserving and regenerating a traditional town with a local heritage called Hizenhama-shuku in Kashima City, Japan.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Author(s) retain the copyright of articles published in this journal, with first publication rights granted to Interiority.

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