This little tailor-shop adjacent to Koliwada, Dharavi is about 7 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The story of the shop is the story of many such entrepreneurs in Dharavi. This neighnourhood  is not only the destination for those from the countryside seeking to take part in the economics of the big city, but Mumbai’s citizens too often seek shelter here after eviction from other locations in the name of redevelopment.

Slum areas in the city are frequently demolished to make place for high rises. Those who lived there are either relocated in transition camps and find new homes in the high-rise, or cannot stay on at all as there is no scope for a livelihood in their new vertical residences.  After all, many entrepreneurs need a business on the street level. Vending only works well there and that is why for the city’s millions of self-employed hawkers and vendors, there is a need for an architecture that understands this. Not one that surgically disconnects people from their livelihood in the name of redevelopment.

The demand for retail space in Dharavi is enormous. A shop of only 4 feet deep is therefore already worth exploiting. Vending often begins with a cloth laid down on a street, backed by a blind wall in an alley. A little stall is a step forward. A built shop is the logical follow up.

The tailor’s shop on the left, beginning street vendors on the right.

On top of the shop a floor is created for a room. By extending this room over the street, more room is created inside. The extra floor doubles as a weather shade, protecting the shop against the blazing sun and torrential rains. The shop’s counter can be moved outside, leaving more space inside the shop. Business is perfectly tuned with the spatial dimensions of the shop. No stock is kept here, production is located elsewhere.

In the shop, client’s orders are taken and delivered. All agreements regarding the design are collected in the order book. All sizes of the customers can be found here. Samples mark the chosen fabric. When a customer arrives to collect the order, a staff member walks to the studio to fetch the gown.

Production takes place in the studio on top of the shop. The distance between production and retail is thus very short and efficient. The alley is in close proximity to one of the busiest streets in Dharavi, which is good for patronage.

In this example, you see how a shop and the studio are built to a blind wall. That wall is part of a bigger house dating from times when this was still a fishermen’s village. This story of building against and building upon is typical for the architecture of neighbourhoods like Dharavi.  The forces of society are clearly visible. The owner of the house was willing (or had to be) to allow trading next to his property. The width of the original alley allowed for a stall of only 4 feet. The stall was eventually improved to a built shop. On top of that came a studio, jutting out over the street. Thus the entrepreneur found shelter for his business.

This is also the story behind the many narrow alleys in Dharavi. Just imagine if the tailor’s shop and his studio were not here. We would be standing in a very ordinary street in a very traditional village. The difference now is that we are in a special village attached to a strong urban economy where people are making the most, with very little resources, by adding on to the existing architectural fabric and thus enhancing their contribution to that very economy.

In neighbourhoods directly bordering the sea, such as Darukhana off the port of Mumbai, the open space over the water is an attractive opportunity for expansion. Of course, the tide is something one has to bear in mind,  especially as there is a two meter range between the levels of low tide and high tide in Mumbai.

Photo 16. Kuala Bandar, Darukhana, Mazgaon, Mumbai. Low tide, revealing the supporting piling of the light dwellings.

Darukhana’s main employment is ship repair and ship recycling. The use of sheet-shaped building materials is therefore an obvious choice. Many of these come from dismantled ships. These structures are very light, compared to concrete and masonry. Another advantage is the flexibility. Repair and expansion is easy, since material is locally available. In terms of sustainability, this is an exemplary site.

The roof shape is straightforward. Its slope is down to the waterside, which is the logical thing to do, as it would otherwise drain to the street, with all resulting inconveniences. The street would turn into a mud pool; the water would be pouring from the roof right in front of the shop or the house and in the end, the water would drain into the sea anyway.

To protect the ground from being washed away by the tide, the shore is paved with heavy stones. In order to keep it accessible and capable of bearing the piles under the dwellings, the stones are stacked stepwise, thus providing sufficient horizontal surface. In addition, the stairway form helps to dampen the incoming waves.

Photo 17. The shore is paved stepwise, providing excellent ground for these dwellings. Click photo to enlarge.

Notwithstanding the wish of many for more comfortable housing, there certainly are things to be appreciated about these dwellings. Their design is practical, straightforward and natural. Everything is in the right place, and in that way it is perfect.