CODESIGNLAB

so proud about the African Fabbers House first prototype that we have presented yesterday with Marilena Laddaga and our students / artisans here in Douala / Cameroon

the project is the result of a theory by practice applied research for a new vernacular architecture: offgrid, affordable and ecological.

therefore
the wooden interlocked primary structure provides a fast deployment modular approach touching lightly the ground.

the roof is conceived for collecting water and energy with photovoltaics

the façade system is designed as a porous skin providing passive cooling ventilation for tropicalcilmates.

such skin was realised with a digital fabricated paneling system combining different natural materials such as wood, ceramics and bamboo.

the whole design to build process bridges traditional and informal local techniques with digital prefabrication with the aim to develop local industries for ecological architecture in Africa

but the African Fabbers House is also an educational project that has involved for 4 intense weeks our incredible students and artisans that I wish to thank today

without their tremendous efforts we couldn t achieve such interesting results towards a new perspective for sustainable architecture in Africa...this is just a new beginnig for all of us.

stay tuned!




,

special thanks to Elena Ciancio

our (dream) team

our (global) tools

tonight at the African Fabbers School

today at the African Fabbers School

this week at the African Fabbers School

stay tuned!

Saturday we have discussed with Paul-Henri Souvenir Assako Assako / LABA Douala , Marilena Laddaga / CODESIGNLAB and our students the results of their researches on informal habitat in Douala and the next step of the African Fabbers House project

looking forward to build up our first off-grid and low-cost scale 1 to 1 prototype 100% made in cameroon

stay tuned!

yesterday prototyping the components

analysing informal habitat dynamics in Douala with the students at the African Fabbers School

stay tuned!

Following a recent UN habitat estimation 45% of the citizens of Cameroon (almost 6 millions of people) lives in slums . while international analysts say that 500 millions is the population that is going to live in urban area in Africa in 2020. 90% of whom will be living in slums.

Today is a very important day for the African Fabbers School here in Douala.

After having developed several researches, implemented the fabrication laboratory and trained local students we are now entering a new phase, we are now going for real!

With a group of craftsmen, students of fine art and young architects we will be confronted with a new challenge, the construction of the first prototype of ecological habitat made in Africa: The African Fabbers House.

Such prototype will be the final result of an experimental process as well as a collaborative approach through a research by design methodology.
We think, without any humanitarian rhetoric or postcolonial polemic, that now is the time to share our knowledges and develop new habitat solutions, low cost and off grid in Africa.
We believe that now is the time to encourage new forms of circular economy able to support such approach bridging vernacular and digital cultures as well as informal architectures and advanced technologies.

We are convinced that now is the time to shape our vision into something concrete and paradigmatic that could be adapted to different countries in difficulty such as Mozambique etc.

We hope that such African research could also inspire the architectural debate in Europe than has a desperate need to reconcile itself with a real understanding of social and environmental design. This climatic crisis needs an adequate response.

We strongly believe on the social role of architecture and design. Therefore we have decided to involve our African students into something closer to the needs of the real world.

Time is now!