This project looked at the abject poverty in the outskirt of the Angolan capital where many thousands of families arrive to seeking a living. In 2010 the situation was verging on a humanitarian crisis with mega slums developing on road sides with poor sanitation and quality of life for many. The project brief asked to look at construction techniques and the way in which the home works in this part of the world.

Our solution is constructed from adobe bricks, easily available and can be made from the available earth on site with a lightweight roof promoting a passive cooling and thermal mass. The curved form is derived from the vernacular round houses found throughout western Africa; elongating and opening the form provides a semi private courtyard space at the threshold and private shaded courtyard to the rear using the irregular non tessellating form to present positive voids between neighbouring buildings.

Low in energy use and very cheap to construct, our proposal is hoped to give an alternative life changing “vernacular” home.