The Dakar Houses are designed for the workers of Moroso M’Afrique located on the outskirts of Dakar Senegal in West Africa. The units are designed to house the workers as well as various parts of the manufacturing process of M’Afrique’s furniture, such as the handcraft work of welding and weaving. The intention was to create a work-based community allowing a village to develop around a central economic constituent. Each housing unit would be comprised of two apartments and one centralized workshop. The apartments would be designed based on the required space for each individual family.
The construction of the houses are produced from earth brick. Earth brick is common building material in Senegal. Its isothermic properties allow the brick to retain the cool nighttime temperatures, keeping interior temperatures comfortable throughout the day. The bricks are cured over several weeks. They are soaked in water each morning and then bake in the sun throughout the day, under a tarp. The earth bricks are a locally sourced, sustainable and economic building material for the region.
Material Used :
1. CEB / Compressed Earth Block
