THE PROLIFERATION OF SLUMS IN MAJOR CITIES AROUND THE WORLD IS THE PRODUCT OF UNMANAGED URBANIZATION. WHILE VILLAGERS MIGRATE TO CITIES FOR BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO PULL THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY, RAPID, IMPROPER CITY PLANNING ONLY THREATENS ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY AND IMPERILS SOCIAL COHESION AND SAFETY. THE SOCIO ECONOMIC PHENOMENON OF SUSTAINABILITY HAS HIT THE SHORES OF DAR ES SALAAM AND TANZANIA PARTNERS UP WITH THE UN HABITAT TO BUILD AFFORDABLE, SUSTAINABLE HOMES FOR ITS PEOPLE.
The City of Dar es Salaam, literally translated, “The abode of peace” is the largest and richest city in Tanzania. From a sleepy coastal fishing village, the city prospered into the country’s most important economic centre which houses Tanzania’s central government bureaucracy. Located on the natural harbour in the eastern coast of Africa, the Indian Ocean, Dar es Salaam holds high concentrations of trade, pivotal for much of the country’s economic success. Critically important for both business and government establishments, the visionaries behind this city hope to model Dar es Salaam after Asia’s city state, Singapore. PROJECT KIGAMBUNI: BUILDING A RESILIENT COMMUNITY IN DAR ES SALAAM FOR AFRICAN CITIES TO MODEL AFTER Dar es Salaam is a city where people dream, hope and work towards better opportunities. Many have migrated to this land but are too poor to afford infrastructure, thus the congregation of poor, unplanned settlements, which account for 70% of the city’s population.
As one of the fastest growing cities in the world by the year 2025, building an inclusive, self- sustaining and healthy environment for the resilient community of Dar es Salaam is of precedence. To eradicate poor living conditions and improve the quality of life, 200 families will be welcomed with new sustainable and affordable homes.
“SUSTAINABILTY IS NOT LIMITED TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE MONEY NOR DOES IT REQUIRE ELABORATE TECHNOLOGY. IT DOES HOWEVER NEED A LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND EXPERTISE TO FACILITATE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY EFFORTS”
Green homes are built with people in mind. They maximize the use of natural energy and decrease the consumption of non-renewable energy, thus, reducing carbon footprint. Sustainability is not limited to those who have the money nor does it require elaborate technology. it does however need a level of education and expertise to facilitate the energy efficiency efforts. Teaming up with the national housing corporation, GreenA Consultants is working with NHC to facilitate sustainable urbanization efforts in Africa. The Kigamboni Housing Estate will be setting the benchmark for future housing developments in Tanzania. Centered around energy efficiency, the passive design is conceptualized for the residences in Kigamboni. The beauty of the passive features is that it reduces its dependency on energy without compromising comfort and performance.
Green buildings in the sun The orientation of a building determines the level of ventilation, insulation, solar shading as well as day lighting . With feel like temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius, heat may sometimes be unforgiving in this East African country. By minimizing the East-West façade, exposure to the sun is reduced and homes have greater access to favorable breezes. Day lighting brings about warmth and creates an inviting ambience as opposed to artificial lighting– and the best part Is that it reduces electricity bills too.
“DAR ES SALAAM IS GROWING RAPIDLY”, STATED PHILIPPE DONGIER, WORLD BANK’S COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR TANZANIA, UGANDA AND BURUNDI."
Energy The houses are natural ventilated with fan points and with good cross ventilation. Apparent shading is only at the front porch of the house. All lightings are of energy efficient Wall U value 1.3 W/m2K ( 3.01 W/m2K) % of E+W area Façade 0.475 WWR : 0.25
Daylighting Fenestration Daylight is dynamic in nature, with some illuminating the space naturally and others causing visual discomfort. With the installation of glass windows with good shading co-efficient values, minimize heat from the sun whilst keeping interiors cool. It also filters uncomfortable glare whilst letting on lots of natural light in. Window frames are of UPVC, a good thermal conductivity element. Native Landscaping Draught tolerant plants are included as part of its native landscaping. These plants are able to withstand low water and high heat-heat conditions while maintaining their aesthetic qualities. Reduced heat build up A rapidly urbanizing country like Tanzania faces the wrath of the heat island effect where temperatures are significantly higher in urban areas as compared to rural areas. The external floors finishes helps to combat heat island effect with its good solar reflectivity that minimizes external building temperatures .Pitch roof design with air gap and perforation in the roof cavity provides and inexpensive method of insulative cooling.
Hydro-foam Walls Making up the highest surface area, walls have a great impact on the thermal mass of the building. Houses in Kigamboni are built to be adjoined in pairs and share a common parting wall to assure thermal mass. The walls, built from hydro-foam offers a good U value and uses limited cement as its binding component. Materials uses to build the wall are from compressing stabilized soil and only 12 % of water is required. All this is readily available from site thus minimize carbon from transportation. The houses has very limited use of concrete which is used only for the ground slab hence achieving a CUI of 0.15 m3/m2 Waste All materials pre fabricated , cut and brought to site to ensure zero wastage. All walls from hydrofoam are recycled back again to make new walls . Regional Material High usage materials are from local from local sources in Tanzania hence minimizing transportation carbon footprint.
A better home, A better life With less toxic materials, low VOC paint a green home is a healthy home. A green home also promotes a greater sense of overall well-being and vitality in the community, therefore, improving the quality of life. Life long sustainability is segmented into engineering and behavioral practices. While engineers, builders and consultants have done their best to ensure natural energy optimization and efficiency, the residents share the responsibility of ensuring the proper maintenance of these features; even though green buildings and features are known have longer life cycles and require less maintenance over conventional ones. By educating and spreading the word of sustainability, it is hoped that green habits will be inculcated into the daily routines of residents with the implementation of the building user guide. A sustainable lifestyle is easy and affordable to adopt.
Community Work All the works of the houses are done by locals therefore spreading knowledge and skills throughout. There is local training center on site to train the local labor on works such as plumbing, carpentry and usage of the hydrofoam.
GreenA Consultants Pte Ltd was the lead ESD consultant on this project and provides advisory and consultation services in areas of sustainability and the achievement of Singapore BCA Green Mark, LEED, Green Globe and Malaysia Green Building Index Certification.
