Socially-Embedded Innovation: Digital Fabrication for Climate-Resilient Informal Housing

Informal settlements in the Asia-Pacific region face acute pressures from material scarcity, climate stress, and the need for construction systems that can be assembled and repaired by non-specialists. This paper addresses the challenge of how natural material variability, particularly in bamboo culms, can be reconciled with the geometric consistency required for modular wall assemblies. The research asks how computational tools can support a low-tech, community-appropriate system that integrates bamboo with recycled plastics while remaining feasible for self-building contexts. The study develops a material-aware parametric workflow that converts irregular culm geometry into a rationalised brick module and generates tolerance-compensating plastic connectors that enable intuitive, tool-free assembly. Prototyping and resident feedback shaped decisions on weight, handling, and repairability, ensuring alignment with local construction practices. Environmental modelling using thermal, hygrothermal and comfort simulations provided an early assessment of climatic suitability for hot-humid conditions. The findings demonstrate that a digitally guided bamboo-plastic system can reduce heat transfer, stabilise indoor humidity, and support socially embedded modes of building, positioning computational design as an enabler of resilient and circular construction in informal settlements.