Research
Kali specialises in generating evidence for better design using methods such as observations of public life, public space analysis, creative consultation with young people, place-based interviews, urban pattern finding, participant observation, and architectural documentation and analysis.
Her research interests include community architecture, engagement and consultation, co-design, informality, self-constructed architecture, intercultural and socially responsive design, public spaces, and the concept of neighbourhood.
As both a researcher and practitioner, Kali’s work engages with the application of research to achieve better urban environments, including how evidence-based design and research-informed practice may transform design processes, architectural practice, and the production of cities.
Read her latest published research here.
Doctoral thesis
An Architecture of Informality: the physical and social environment of two informal settlements in Ahmedabad, India
The world is experiencing unprecedented urban growth alongside increasing levels of poverty and inequality. Slums, informal settlements and squatter settlements house over one billion people around the world and are projected to reach a population of two billion in the next 20-30 years (UN-Habitat 2016). Despite their proliferation and resilience, these settlements are not well understood. Policies that result in clearance or substantial change to these self-constructed environments can destroy or diminish the social and cultural fabric of community. Interventions in informal settlements often focus on built environment deficiencies and ignore the agency of residents. There are limited studies that record the spatial qualities and related patterns of use in informal settlements, and yet understanding the urban morphology of informal settlements is critical for achieving better upgrading outcomes and tackling urban poverty. To find better architectural solutions for residents, Kali’s doctoral research project uses a case study approach to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the built environment. The thesis documents and analyses the spatial organisation and meaning of two informal settlements in Ahmedabad, India. A qualitative case study collected data over three fieldwork periods totalling six months during 2017-2018. The study discovered documented housing types and settlement patterns replicated spatial organisation and use from residents’ rural villages of origin. Significant identified spatial patterns included dwelling location, incremental construction process, dwelling thresholds, shared open spaces in housing clusters, and neighbourhood organisation.