Life Between the Walls

Abstract

This thesis critiques the standardization of affordable housing and its failure to address the psychological and social needs of residents. Through the study of informal urban systems and incremental housing models, the research identifies layering, adaptability, and human-centered design as essential strategies for creating resilient living environments. Drawing from Vietnam's tube shophouses and street life culture, this thesis reframes informality as a source of spatial richness rather than disorder, proposing affordable housing as a layered, adaptive framework that supports identity, belonging, and long-term well-being.