The ger districts of Ulaanbaatar are home to 850,000 people and 60% of the city’s population, yet residents have no access to basic infrastructure: sewage, running water or district heating. They are under resourced in terms of community spaces, kindergartens, and indoor play areas. With temperatures dropping to -40°C in the winter, people remain stuck in their homes, usually a 25m2 ger shared by 4-7 family members.  There is an urgent need for sustainable community spaces that can offer a variety of activities based on different ages and needs.
 
Twenty years ago, Ulzii Sodnomsenge founded Green Lake by creating a small lake in an abandoned quarry. People can rent boats in the summer and ice-skate during winter. Over time he has built additional facilities such as a centre for borrowing books, conducting music lessons and group meetings.  It is a positive example of a local initiative that has strong social impact in strengthening community relationships and educating visitors, however it is becoming economically unsustainable to maintain.  

The project seeks to harness Green Lake as a model community resource by providing facilities that can attract tourists, generate income through sales of refreshments and local crafts, and provide additional spaces for the community. The project can enable Green Lake to become more financially sustainable and become a destination for visitors to experience a unique perspective of the ger districts and learn about issues facing residents. 

The project is designed to deliver short-term and long-term impact. In the first phase, the architectural initiative of the viewing deck attracts visitors. Refreshments and crafts made by residents can also be sold benefitting local people and assisting the community partner, Green Lake, in operation costs. Over time, a ger home-stay can be added to offer overnight accommodation to create new income streams.  In the next phase, a much-needed kindergarten can be integrated into the ring, whilst doubling as a community meeting space for after school clubs, educational events, elderly clubs and vocational workshops. 

The project strengthens the relationship between Green Lake and GerHub NGO. GerHub will run programs focused on capacity building for local residents such as workshops on home improvements to reduce heat loss, vocational training and educational activities, and creative play workshops for children.  This can build the long-term capacity of the entire district to act as a community by working together to solve common problems and to target future improvements. This could include, the improvement of stairs and paths, tree-planting, neighbourhood greenhouse construction and more sustainable toilets. 

Additional visitors will experience a unique perspective of Ulaanbaatar that reveals the entire history of the city: from the countryside to the soviet linear city, from the ger districts to the towers of the short-lived economic boom, and the expansion of the ger districts and challenges that will face the city in the future.

Rural Urban Framework (RUF), is the lead architect for the project.  RUF is a design and research lab based within the Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong.  We have been working in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia since 2014, to conduct research, lead student workshops, and implement built projects to develop a more agile, incremental, and sustainable development solution for the ger districts.  

Gerhub is a local NGO, founded in 2016 to find innovative solutions for the ger districts.  They are experienced in collaborating with international stakeholders on both built and program based projects.

RUF first connected with their chairman in 2014, and since then developed multiple projects with them.  Most recently is the Ger Innovation Hub (GIH), a community centre in the ger districts.  The GIH will be managed and programmed by Gerhub with involvement from the local leaders.  This project demonstrates our expertise in bringing together and creating knowledge exchange between multiple stakeholders including local NGOs, students, private organizations, local factories and manufacturers, as well as carpenters. 

Our community partner, Ulzii Sodnomsenge started Green Lake (Nogoon Nuur Park) in 2012, and by 2016, it has become a key example of a community project.  Ulzii owns the land where the project is based, and is very well trusted and established in the local community.  He is able to bring on the ground knowledge and connections to local builders, as well having the capacity to help manage on site activities.

Gerhub
Ger Innovation Hub
Green Lake
Rural Urban Framework - Mongolia Work
Gerhub - Instagram