The project results from a study carried out on the theme of the house in Africa south of the Sahara and on the specific requirements of the city of Luanda, afflicted with a very high demographic pressure. The use of local materials through traditional and economically supportable techniques of construction, like natural ventilation and the collection of rainwater, the possibility of “do-it-yourself” construction, match the speed of transformation of the city’s social fabric. The arrangement of components is typical of West African houses, in which the open spaces area an integral part of the house, with purposes that are functional and not just decorative. The patio, the focal point of rooms arranged along the perimeter of the plot of land, and the place intended for the teaching of children and the traditional handcraft activities of the family.
ANK ARCHITECTS Andrea Battistin, Andrea De Faveri, Mauro Giordan, Massimo Rigo, Giulia Voltarel
Fabio Cuzziol
Lisbon Architecture Triennale
site: Luanda, Angola
buiding area: 100 sqm
cost: 25.000 euro
schedule: 2010 competition