Architecture That Never Finishes: Growing Tectonics and the Aesthetics of Patchwork in Subsidized Housing

english

Abstract

Often dismissed as mere design failure or improvisation, the patch work ("patchwork") practice in subsidized housing is reinterpreted here as a form of adaptive, participatory, and contextually responsive growing architecture. Through a critical-reflective qualitative approach and field observations at Perumahan Rowosari Megah Asri 2, Semarang, this article highlights how residents gradually modify spaces using flexible, experience-based strategies. The concept of tectonics frames this practice as an open system—where structure, materials, and spatial expression unite in a non-finalized process. Patch work emerges as an alternative architectural manifestation that resists formal conventions yet organically responds to living dynamics. These findings challenge conventional design paradigms, advocating for more flexible, contextual, and sustainable approaches. This work invites architects, developers, academics, and policymakers to reassess perceptions of "messy" architecture and recognize it as a source of inclusive, realistic future design strategies.