Habitat

More than a quarter of the world's population is housed in indecent conditions, despite the fact that housing is recognized as a fundamental right. Housing is a prerequisite for human dignity and personal fulfillment within any society: without decent housing, there can be no development.

Improving access to decent housing of high environmental and cultural quality

To meet social demand and adapt to the diversity of physical and social contexts, strong, innovative solutions are needed. How can we produce quality housing that meets current needs and is affordable? How can we make better use of the land and its resources, and contribute to social and economic development? How can we reduce vulnerability and better prepare for natural risks and hazards?

Local building cultures

Les cultures constructives locales ont un rôle important à jouer pour participer à l’épanouissement des hommes et des femmes. Construire en terre, c’est concourir à bâtir un monde durable en proposant un habitat éco-responsable et accessible à tous.

The Habitat theme hosts two research programs

  • 1

    Eco-responsible habitat

  • 2

    Risk management and reconstruction

Applied research is fueled by actions carried out in the field. Visit this page to find out more about our actions.

CRAterre's objectives

The scientific objectives of the Habitat theme
cover three main areas

  • Promoting eco-responsible architecture and urban planning
    This research crosses human and social sciences and engineering sciences. It involves a cross-disciplinary approach to the issues of building, architectural and urban quality, resource conservation (materials, non-renewable energies) and the development of local resources. These three themes contribute to the sustainable development of societies, from material, human, environmental and cultural points of view, in both North and South.

  • Contributing to constructive and architectural innovation
    In this area, research & development and applied research activities are carried out. They draw on the full range of skills available within the research unit, as well as associated external qualifications and partnerships. Experiments on built prototypes are developed for evaluation and validation. Pilot demonstration projects in the fields of low-cost housing and eco-housing (eco-districts in particular) are also carried out, with local stakeholders (populations and various operators).

  • Developing research on local risk cultures within an international network
    The aim of this area is to make better use of local heritage and cultural resources to provide local and economic responses to post-disaster reconstruction (earthquakes, floods, cyclones), whether natural or civil (conflicts). To achieve this, we are developing methods, tools and strategies to better anticipate hazards and manage post-emergency situations in terms of reconstruction and local development.

Methodology

Following the basic logic of our research, the notion of Habitat covers all scales of the living environment (building, neighborhood, city) so as to be able to identify the interactions between these design elements with their natural environment (topography, vegetation, climate, etc.) and the way in which they do or do not contribute to "living well" in a given territory.

Improving knowledge for more effective thinking on housing accessibility for as many people as possible

  • Habitat très économique (zones rurales, zones péri-urbaines)
  • Retro-ingénierie des architectures de terre
  • Retro-ingénierie des cultures constructives locales en situation post-désastre et en prévention des risques (en lien avec CDP Risk@UGA de l’IDEX)

Study the practical modalities of territorialization, its strategic stakes and the strategic problems revealed by these processes.

  • Habitabilité des territoires

Observe and analyze the potential of new trends in project management

  • Évolution des modèles d’évaluation de l’efficacité des projets d’habitat : l’outil SHERPA
  • Habitat informel, processus de fabrication spatiale sans architecte comme connaissance et référence pour l’architecte
  • Modèles participatifs, études de l‘évolution des comportements et expérimentations sur le terrain (recherche–action)
  • Les réflexions sur les nouveaux indicateurs de bien vivre (ensemble)