How to read the self-building manual : houses, self-builders, and experts in Mexico

Abstract

A self-building manual is a book written by an expert, such as an architect, an engineer, or a planner, to teach a non-expert how to build their own house. This thesis examines and reimagines these documents as a distinct form of architectural representation, entailing specific forms of production, circulation, and reception. I track the history of the self-building manual within the Mexican social, economic, and political context, as well as the national housing policy and discussions regarding selfhelp and self-built housing both in Mexico and abroad. I carry out a close reading of three of the most widely distributed manuals: the Peasant's Manual, the Housing Handbook, and the Manual for Housing Self-Building and Improvement. This thesis argues that while these books were meant to disseminate information, bridge knowledge gaps, and ultimately empower people, they end up doing the opposite.

By representing a self-builder as a perpetual non-expert, these manuals prevent their audience from entering the realm of professional construction. Additionally, they misrepresent how allegedly self-built housing is produced. Based on these findings as well as fieldwork with Tosepan and Antorcha Campesina, two communities that are producing housing that is neither social (produced by the state) nor commercial (produced by developers), this thesis provides a new kind of self-building manual. The Atlas of Housing Production is an inventory of existing protocols for producing housing in Mexico. The Atlas describes the processes of financing, sourcing materials, designing, and organizing labor to build a house, as they are carried out by Tosepan, Antorcha Campesina, commercial banks, government agencies, and real estate developers.

Rather than prescribing a single, ideal solution, The Atlas presents a set of equally valid possibilities, flattening the hierarchy between allegedly expert and non-expert knowledge. By laying bare the virtues and shortcomings of each of these processes, The Atlas gives agency to its users, allowing them to make informed decisions on how they wish to obtain a house. Finally, by splitting the process into its component parts, The Atlas allows its readers to recombine them for imagining new forms of housing production.