Pyramidal Organization of Collective Housing as an Alternative to the Mass housing

Abstract

In the context of rapid urbanization in Algeria, especially in the northern and coastal cities where land is becoming increasingly scarce, Public Housing developments have become the norm to accommodate the growing population. However, these mass housing project often prioritize densification and cost efficiency over the social, cultural and mental well-being of residents. This thesis investigates how affordable and replicable mass housing models can be developed without sacrificing quality of life, cultural relevance and psychological comfort. This research is driven by the question of how can we integrate the Mediterranean lifestyle particularly the private outdoor space into large scale low-cost housing? The proposed solution is Pyramidal Organization, a housing concept that reimagines spatial hierarchy by prioritizing open to air private space. In contrast to typical AADL housing where terraces only account to 1 to 5% of the total area, this project treats open to sky spaces as essential, not residual. Resulting a 25% to 35% terrace occupancy percentage. This architectural approach seeks to balance replicability with adaptability, allowing for mass production without erasing local identity and traditional lifestyle. In doing so, the thesis offers an alternative vision for the future of Algerian social housing, one where economic constraint is respected while still affirming the importance of human centered design.