From Resilience to Transformation: Defining the Future of Quarry Road Informal Settlement
Supervisor: Dr. Jan Hugo
Research Field: Climate-Resilient Urban Environments
Project Location: eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal
Building Programme: Community Centre / Resilience Hub
Keywords: Informal settlement upgrading, climate change, resilience, flood mitigation, skills development.
Abstract
Quarry Road Informal Settlement, established in 1989 on the floodplain of the Palmiet River in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, faces persistent challenges including flooding, fires and insecure land tenure. These issues, compounded by limited infrastructure, financial constraints and the escalating effects of climate change, threaten the safety and livelihoods of residents. Yet, the community continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, resourcefulness, and determination in the face of adversity.
This project addresses the urgent need for climate-responsive, incremental upgrading in informal settlements. It proposes a multi-functional community centre as an immediate intervention to strengthen resilience while catalysing long-term transformation. Grounded in the principles of the ‘Right to the City’ and community engagement, the project positions architecture as a tool for empowerment, enabling residents to take agency in shaping their future.
Resilience is approached through three interconnected stages – immediate, emergency and recovery resilience. Immediate resilience focuses on programmatic and socio-economic needs, improving well-being through spaces for learning, recreation and income generation. Emergency resilience enhances disaster preparedness through elevated circulation, pedestrian bridges and evacuation spaces. Recovery resilience promotes long-term adaptation through dwelling maintenance and upgrading, sustainable urban drainage systems and the integration of vertical farming and rainwater harvesting. Collectively, these strategies enable the settlement to adapt and evolve physically, socially, and ecologically towards transformation.
The proposed community centre incorporates flexible indoor and outdoor spaces, functioning as both a resilience hub during disasters and an everyday space for skills development, youth education and social gatherings. Situated at the heart of the settlement, it improves accessibility and safety across the Palmiet River through pedestrian bridges and towers, applying principles of tactical urbanism.
The project advocates for in-situ upgrading, countering relocation by demonstrating how climate-responsive design can support adaptation where communities already exist. Ultimately, it upholds the residents’ right to remain rooted, resilient and empowered within their environment, laying the foundation for a safer and dignified future.
