Along the small streets of Maspero, workers have begun to install a new infrastructural system to support the derelict housing stock. While this infrastructure does not directly intervene with the existing buildings, it does provide a new lifeline for the neighborhood. A simple elevated grid system delivers water, electricity, and scaffolding to the disconnected areas of Maspero, reaching into buildings from the top without having to break through foundations or dig up roads. This “inversion” of infrastructure to building creates all sorts of unprecedented opportunities for the neighborhood. In addition, this system also doubles as a shading device, which transforms the narrow streets into bazaar-like alleyways.

The shaded alleyways and the fresh infrastructural supply have encouraged many homeowners in Maspero to open businesses on the ground floors of their buildings and attract customers from nearby business districts. While most owners operate smaller cafes and convenience stores, more unconventional endeavors can also be seen. Tapping water from the new piping system has allowed for the cultivation of small gardens on rooftops and back-alleys. In other instances miniature squares with fountains were built, finally addressing the much desired need for communal gathering space. Some neighbors have partnered up to combine the interstitial spaces between their buildings to create larger and more upscale establishments to lure in more affluent customers from other parts of downtown.

The inversion of building envelope to building systems coupled with the prohibition to renovate old housing stock, has motivated some owners to expand from their property into open areas of the street itself. This unique phenomenon of “constructed voids” is a direct consequence of the constraints imposed on the building owners and has been widely celebrated as a new form of informal urban resistance.