S.L.U.M. Lab works as a nomadic enterprise; converging planners, architects, and students from all areas of the globe to work towards an understanding of the link between architecture, urban design, planning and poverty alleviation. Using Urban-Think Tank as its catalyst, we seek to expand the role of the politically engaged architect in areas of slum upgrading in the pedagogical context of Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation and ETH Zürich's Chair of Architecture and Urban Design.

S.L.U.M. Lab focuses on the debates and new perspectives of the relationships between informal and formal urban developments in cities. The program was designed to educate researchers, students and university teachers in the disciplines that underpin sustainable development in complex, urban conditions. By combining elements of a traditional architectural and design education with sociology, economics and natural science, the program aims to assess policies (land, zoning, housing, environment and infrastructure) along with their impact on architectural and urban development. Each year, S.L.U.M. Lab published a newspaper showcasing research, observations and the work of students. These newspapers and publications can be further explored by clicking on the icons below.