DOH EAIN 2022

DOH EAIN
| Renewing Places
March 2022
DOH DOH
EAINEAIN LOREM IPSUM | 2022

“Collectively, we can make cities

more vibrant, inclusive and
sustainable places to live, work
and enjoy”
DOH EAIN 2022

About Doh Eain

Our Areas of Work

Doh Eain is a participatory design practice based in Yangon, Myanmar, dedicated to making better cities. In a world of rapid urbanisation,
we want to ensure that cities remain places with identity, and that they are liveable, inclusive and sustainable.

Research and Engagement Public Space Design Restoration Public Outreach

Gathering data, fostering Creating inclusive public Protecting buildings for local Building the next generation of
collaboration, agency and spaces together with those that homeowners and creating city shapers. advocacy and
empowerment with local use them sustainable solutions campaigns for resilient cities
communities and communities.

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About Doh Eain

Who We Are and The Services We Offer

We are a multidisciplinary team of 35 researchers, urban designers, architects, community

engagement specialists and PR professionals. We are a mix of Yangon nationals and long-time
Yangon residents originally from Europe, the US and Australia.

We provide the following services:

● Research ● Property Management

● Community Engagement ● Financial Investment Support
● Community-Led Placemaking ● Programming and Events
● Urban Planning ● Awareness Raising, Advocacy & Events
● Public Space Design ● Workshops, Education & Training
● Architectural Design
● Heritage Building Conservation

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Approach
A Holistic Approach to Transformation of
the Built Environment

COMMUNITY & FINANCING

STAKEHOLDER
ENGAGEMENT

DESIGN

RESEARCH PROCUREMENT

IMPLEMENTATION

MONITORING &
EVALUATION
MAINTENANCE

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Downtown Yangon
The Challenge

Yangon has an incredibly rich history. Once the ‘Pearl of the East’, the city has layers of
historical and cultural influences, making it a unique place to live in and travel to.

Following decades of military rule and relative isolation, Yangon presently has one of the
highest concentrations of intact heritage buildings in Asia. It still features cohesive
historical neighborhoods with green public spaces keen to keep their history alive.

However, between 1990 and 2011 35% of Yangon’s heritage buildings were destroyed
(~1800 buildings). More are destroyed every year. As the economy expands and land
values rise, more and more heritage owners opt to demolish. At the same time already
limited public space is rapidly diminishing.

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Downtown Yangon
The Challenge

There is a significant lack of public space in Yangon. Yangon inhabitants only have 0.37
square meters of public space per [Link] comparison Jakarta has 6 square meters,
Bangkok, has 8.5 square meters and Paris has 30 square meters. Public spaces are vital for
people and cities. They stimulate local economies, support healthy behaviours and create
a sense of identity and social cohesion.

There are significant social inequalities in communities in Yangon, particularly for those
who are more vulnerable and for women and girls. Well designed and inclusive places can
have profound and positive impacts on the lives of all Yangon’s citizens.

Infrastructure in Yangon is weak, with challenges in water management, waste

management, sewage and mobility. This has a wide ranging impact - on personal health,
space, environment, drainage, climate change and many other areas.

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Community
Engagement and
Placemaking
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Placemaking
A Philosophy and a Process

A philosophy that improved public space A process for transforming (often) underutilized public space through the active participation of
makes cities more liveable, enjoyable, community stakeholders. Placemaking is the planning, design and management of public places
inclusive, prosperous and sustainable for to achieve safe, vibrant and welcoming places with long-term community benefit. Fundamental
both residents and visitors. to placemaking on any scale is early engagement of the community and identification of ways in
which government representatives, community members, businesses and organizations become
active partners in the improvement of place for all users.

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Placemaking
Our Process

Doh Eain’s focus is in working with local communities in the development of public space, and through our placemaking process we enable
marginalised voices to have a platform and participate in positive change in their city.

Doh Eain uses an engagement framework which has been developed through the experience of many projects and is based on human
centered design. This framework provides a clear structure for design thinking and participation while also remaining flexible to adapt to
different environments, communities and project types.

Building Activities
Community We work with the community through a
Design & Skills
Feasibility Study Engagement and hands-on series of design workshops, pop
Workshops with
for Site Selection Recruitment of ups and community build days. These days
the Community
Committee can include everything from cleaning to
planting and painting.

Exhibition & Launch

Follow-Up and The community celebrate their
Bui
Space
Transformation
Launch Review with achievement at two key moments; the
Community exhibition where they show their design for
ldi feedback and the launch of the space.

ng
acti 10
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Placemaking
Alley Garden Programme
In 2017 Doh Eain started an initiative, initially through crowdfunding, to transform the
back alleyways of Yangon from waste dumping sites into safe active spaces. The
programme has developed into a network of 12 Alley Gardens which were transformed
through a robust community engagement process of co-creation.

Our existing network of Alley Gardens provide 14,000 sq m of public space with 16
community committees established and 7,900 residents directly participating in the
process. The Alley Gardens saw 300,000 visitors every year (pre Covid).

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Girl-led Placemaking
Supporting Young Girls
A Global Peace Index Survey places Myanmar at number 130 on a list of 162 countries ranked for women’s safety. In order to respond we
initiated a Girl-Led Placemaking project in two areas of peri-urban Yangon. The project aim was to use our engagement process, supported by
our technical capacity as urban planners and architects, to empower girls aged between 11 and 17 to develop new skills, confidence and to
create their own safe inclusive public spaces.

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House of Clean Waste

Supporting Waste Pickers
Assessment of the current waste management and sewerage systems in Downtown Yangon and the development of a community-based
initiative which includes behaviour change adoption to increase the value of recyclables through the segregation of organic waste. Key to
the project was the research and collaboration with the informal waste picker sector. Our approach involved sustainable solutions which
included the long-term engagement of informal waste pickers and supporting their status within their local communities.

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Climate Resilience
Water Security in Thaketa
A Dutch consortium of technical specialists bringing climate resilience and water security to Thaketa through an innovative
network approach to integrate technical solutions. The team includes expert engineers, flood modellers, real-estate development
specialists, water supply specialists and water treatment specialists. We worked at multiple different levels; household, street,
neighbourhood, ward, township and city, engaging with multiple stakeholders.

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Climate Resilience
Gaming - ‘Raincraft’
Adaptation of the Minecraft and UN-Habitat to create ‘Raincraft’ - using the computer game to
deliver engaging education modules on water related issues. We ran two cohorts of youth to Theory Content
learn and design interventions for climate adaptation. The project was well received and we are - Water Cycle
now investigating opportunities to take our redesign to new countries. - Climate Change
- Flooding
- Water Scarcity
- Climate Resilient Placemaking

Participatory Activities
- Weekly Quiz
- Design Thinking Activities
- Mapping

Minecraft Activity
- Scavenger Hunt
- Greening your home
- Greening your street
- Creating Household Filters and
Communal Water Supply
- Designing a resilient space (Final
Project)

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Yangon
Neighbourhood
Network
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The YNN
How it Began

The Yangon Neighbourhood Network (YNN) connects grassroots organisations

working across the city to coordinate, strengthen, and advance their initiatives to
respond to crises and improve community welfare and resilience.

It is a platform to strengthen relationships, pool resources, and foster learning

between groups in the city.

Today, the network has over 118 members and reaches every township of Yangon.

The YNN was initiated during the first wave of COVID-19 by Doh Eain to aid the
distribution of urgent support to vulnerable people.

The network focuses on connecting local, neighbourhood-based grassroots

organisations. These are often best placed to support communities in times of crisis
as they are:
● Physically and socially embedded in their communities.
● Sensitive and responsive to emerging needs, aspirations, and challenges.
● Adaptable to fluid situations.
● Committed to the long-term welfare of their communities.

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The YNN
I Do Nation

From April to November 2020 we:

★ Enumerated 5536 vendors.

★ Verified 3396 vendors.

★ Raised over 80 million MMK (for

disbursements, PPE, enumerators, etc.)

★ Distributed 20 hand washing stations,

7700 litres of hand sanitizer, 80 bars of
soap and 21,650 facemasks.

★ Disbursed 81,780,000 MMK through

Direct Cash Transfers.

★ I Do Nation campaign reached over

250,000 people, communicated the
importance of street vending
economically, culturally and for food
security.

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YNN Members
Thematic Areas and Leadership

Today, the YNN’s members work across a variety of thematic

areas.

We are continuously expanding on these to ensure the

Network is inclusive and build the skills and knowledge
within the Network.
Thematic Areas Membership Criteria

Doh Eain acts as an access point and facilitator for the YNN.
● Diversity and Inclusion ● Locally owned & run
We focus on bringing resources to the Network to help
● Humanitarian Aid ● Not politically affiliated
members meet the needs of their communities- from funding Education and Awareness
● ● Based and primarily
to capacity building activities, whilst helping donors and ● Economic and Social working in Yangon
clients understand and support these capable community Sustainable Development
● Deeply embedded in a
groups. ● Health, Sports and
Wellbeing place or community
● Environment and Climate ● Working directly with
This approach to leadership allows for agile and localized
● Governance, Peace and beneficiaries without
responses that also enable learning across the Network.
Security intermediaries
● Media, Information and ● Willing and able to help
Innovation vulnerable people
● Human rights
● Other 19
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Emergency Response
How the YNN has been able to Respond to Emergencies
Since March 2020 Doh Eain & the current members of YNN have built on our capabilities to deliver a range of activities and programs to
respond to immediate needs during the COVID19 & Coup related emergencies. Because of the diversity & localized nature of the Network the
members have been best placed to respond in these emergencies. The have so far distributed 90,060,000mmk via DCT, over 67,000 meals and
food packages, approximately 10,000 units of PPE, supported multiple rapid needs assessments and provided trainings and MHPSS.

Through I Do Nation a crowdfunding platform, Doh Eain is able to facilitate or train community groups to raise
Direct Cash Transfers funds and distribute using Wave Money. We have a fully trained phone-bank team and developed a tracking
system that allows for efficient and transparent DCTs.

We are able to coordinate food distribution to the most vulnerable, and are in the process of developing a program
Food Distribution
to support urban farming initiatives.

We have a database of trainings including: counselling, digital security, nutrition & waste free food distribution,
Trainings & MHPSS
photo taking for reporting and re-energizing activities for wellbeing.

We are able to conduct quality research with a secure process for collecting data and visualization. Current
Research & Data
projects include: understanding neighbourhood dynamics, mental health, and livelihoods among women & daily
Collection wage workers.

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Monitoring Reach
Impact of the Response

The data of members,

beneficiaries and activities is
processed into a tableau
dashboard for ease of
monitoring.

Now supported by ADPC to

increase digital capacity -
tailor made website and app
for the network and tools..

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Activities Initial research as we announce

opportunities to members
How We Support

Enumeration tool and

vulnerability
assessment tool for
Direct Cash Transfers New equipment
purchased
through the
programmes
Report card for Street
Vendor voucher concept

We have develop trainings to support

YNN members depending on the
programme being undertaken:

● Introduction to CVA
● Basic Nutrition
● Food Basket Guidelines In carrying out the food kitchen concept we
● Fundraising: Proposal Writing created reporting tools and trained members
● Safeguarding Essentials ● Financial Report
● Photo Report
● Meals Report
● Beneficiary Report
● Coupons & Sign book
● Daily Nutrition Card 22
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The YNN
The Impact

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Restoration
Investment -
Heritage Homes
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Heritage Homes
Overview
We finance, design and deliver heritage restoration projects; working with local
homeowners and communities to protect buildings which are at risk of demolition
and providing a sustainable income for their families. We currently have a portfolio
of 37 properties across Yangon.

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Heritage Homes
Privately Owned Heritage

As cities grow and areas get redeveloped, heritage buildings are getting demolished at an alarming
rate all around the world.

In some countries, protection and support for heritage preservation is in place. However, such
support mainly focuses on large public buildings or monuments.

Support for smaller privately owned buildings is generally overlooked. While an estimated 70% of
all heritage buildings in the world are privately owned.

Units in tenement Buildings/

shop houses
est. 20 million sqft in Yangon Private Ownership Doh Eain’s
(70-80% of all heritage Focus
Mid-size entire buildings for buildings)
commercial use
est. 3 million sqft in Yangon

Institutional Properties
Public Ownership
est 5 million sqft in Yangon

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Heritage Renovation
The challenge for homeowners

Our research shows that heritage building owners currently

face the following issues:
● Lack of awareness of the (potential) value of their
asset
● No access to finance, due to lack of ownership
documentation and due to general difficulties to access
finance in Myanmar
● No restoration expertise
● No access to niche rental markets to make restoration
financially viable

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Heritage Homes
Doh Eain Investment Model

Since early 2017, Doh Eain in Yangon has:

● 100+ Engaged heritage property owners

● 37 projects Supporting 37 owners with maintenance & property management
● 21 investments Completed new restorations with 21 owners of units.
● $10,000 - 70,000 Renovation cost per unit (multiple units in some properties)
● US $750 - 3,000 Post renovation rental prices per unit
● 3.58x Average increase in rent
● 500+ Tenant enquiries
● 10% Vacancy rate (prior to COVID; 20% during COVID, currently 25%)
● 4 years Average loan payback time for building owners
● US $400,000 Paid back by owners to Doh Eain since early 2017
● 50+ Buyer / investor enquiries

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Heritage Homes
Recently Completed

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Heritage Homes Unadapted Adapted New Build

Environmental Research
An existing heritage Typical adaptations by Comparative model with
building, typical of Doh Eain, based on the a new build residential
We carried out research - downtown (circa 1910 - ‘unadapted’ building building, with a focus on
alongside Beca Engineers and 1940). In use as a Principle is to look existing affordable
Statement Architects - into the residential apartment critically at our housing developments-
impact of design interventions Based on the apartments renovation methods with as built to current
on heritage buildings, and as a that Doh Eain sees on a regards to sustainability. regulations (MNBC 2016).
comparison to ‘modern’ daily basis.
buildings that are being
constructed across Yangon, and
as a reflection on the robustness
of the Myanmar National
Building Code.

Unadapted Adapted New Build

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Heritage Homes
Environmental Research

The modeling is to show the impact the building fabric has on the demand for
energy consumption from cooling load to maintain a steady internal temperature
at 24 degrees celsius (with a 1 degree buffer).

- Material data
(Ashrae thermal transfer function used to
understand the amount of thermal energy
transferred through fabric)

- Occupancy

- Weather
(includes Outside Air Temperature,
Humidity and Solar Gain)

- Air Change Rates

- Lighting Loads

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Heritage Homes
Example on 47th Street

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THANK YOU