Open Source House covered earlier has announced their winning entry, designed by Lisbon-based Blaanc in collaboration with Architect João Caeiro. Treehugger reports:Emerging Ghana is a plan for an eco-affordable single family house for the emerging middle class of Ghana. The design recently won first place in the international design competition Open Source House, a non-profit organization that aims to provide better, more sustainable housing in low-income countries. Emerging Ghana is modular single-family home design to be built with local materials, local labor, and with all the best sustainable design strategies you can imagine, all for a low cost of about $12,500 USD. More...
Red-i reports:The Pinnacle Point Group has selected SiMS as the property sales management platform for Lagos Keys, their high-profile leisure and residential development in Nigeria’s commercial hub. As one of Africa’s fastest growing economies the demand for exclusive residential property is soaring. The Lagos Keys development is set on a tropical peninsula with six kilometres of water frontage and will include a private marina with moorings for 100 vessels.Related articles by ZemantaLiterary Clusters-Lagos,Nigeria (africaunchained.blogspot.com)Lagos Disco Inferno! (africaunchained.blogspot.com)Applauding the Shadow City Dwellers of 'Welcome to Lagos'...
At the eco-village resort Escape3points: ...everything has been handbuilt,designed to fit harmoniously in with the surrounding environment,using appropriate technology including natural and recyclable materials. We use composting toilets and continue to explore different renewable energy resources and alternative methods to keep our place as eco friendly as possible...
Enda Ecopole Senegal "...runs a recycling program where artisans are taught how to make products from recycled cans, bottle caps, and iron recovered from the dump..."their work embodies "...transforming pieces of metal (such as used bottles caps) into art objects and furniture..."In addition to being a community based landowner that protects the interests of its constituency the organization is actively involved in building creative sustainable symbiotic bridges in areas that include indigenous medicine, open source hardware and telecentre activities. Over 40,000 people have been trained since 1994 a number of which have gone on to form...
Dezeen reports on the construction of a school in Chimundo,Mozambique partly by use of sand bags:A framework of reinforced concrete makes a permanent bearing structure in the closed room. The framing allows for cheaper more temporary materials as in-fillings. We experimented with sandbags in the east and north facade, where they functions as thermal mass in the winter, while an extension of the roof prevents sun exposure during summer...The shaded south facade has a glass-bottle wall for letting in light and keeping dust out. Bottles give an aesthetic quality, and make a good alternative to expensive windows.More...
Architecture for Humanity reports on a rainwater harvesting project within Mahiga Hope High School:The Rainwater Court is a full-court basketball court with an integrated rainwater collection and UV purification system with solar panels for the water system and night lighting in areas without electricity. The full-court configuration has a 4,850 sq ft playing surface covered by metal roof and guttered to collect an estimated 90,000 liters of water per year. The building incorporates 25,000 liters of rainwater storage, with UV purification.More...
Open Source House (OS-House) has launched a competition:...to design a sustainable, flexible and locally embedded family house for a specific location in Ghana. The modular construction should be suitable for local implementation and affordable for its future owners. The winning design(s) will be built in Ghana.Related articles by ZemantaCyber-City (timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com)Open Source House Launches Design Competition (ostatic.com)To those who mock "Ghana Must Go".......
New Scientist reports:In the heart of Africa's savannah lies a city that is a model of sustainable development. Its buttressed towers are built entirely from natural, biodegradable materials. Its inhabitants live and work in quarters that are air-conditioned and humidity-regulated, without consuming a single watt of electricity. Water comes from wells that dip deep into the earth, and food is cultivated self-sufficiently in gardens within its walls. This metropolis is not just eco-friendly: with its curved walls and graceful arches, it is rather beautiful too.This is no human city, of course. It is a termite mound...[continue reading]Image courtesy of the New...
Jean Pierre Nshimyimana initiator of the LifeEngine Clean Water Project, is developing a business that will provide clean water and green energy technologies and environmental engineering consultancy to provide superior services, designs, knowledge, and green energy solutions to community-based initiatives in Rwanda-LegatumJean Pierre Speaks at Harvard from Sean Clauson on...
The award winning architectural Makeka Design Lab founded by Mokena Makeka seeks:...to create a climate where previously disparate media of action and modes of representation are used to create functional holistic design solutions with provocative cultural meaning.The broader purpose is to also advance new understandings about how cultural specificity fused into design...
Treehugger reports on a RIBA lecture series which focuses on vernacular architecture:It is fascinating to see how local, vernacular architecture can be adapted to modern-day needs. The same principles that were behind the initial design of so-called "primitive" buildings can be modified for present day use, using cheap locally sourced materials. And these guys should know, because they have all done it in their own countriesMore hereImage courtesy of Kere...
Brick World "...aims to pioneer alternative and innovative construction solutions.products and services..." Their offerings include: -Concrete blocks -Concrete and clay bricks-Clay Roof Tiles-Pre-cast Concrete accessories; kerbs and air vents.-Crushed stonesvia Zambian...
The BBC profiles founders Tunji Abdul and Kabir Audu of the HCI group:They're real estate developers, building modern homes - and the first sustainable skyscraper in Lagos.It will harvest its own rainwater and be powered by solar energy."We want our architecture to shape the way people feel about their space, their community," says Tunji."Great buildings, inspirational buildings, don't just have to be in the UK or the...
Francis Kere's Kere Architecture draws its inspiration from his earlier'Bricks for School' project.The firms focus is:...housing and urban development, strategies of climatically advantageous building, sustainable utilization of materials, integration of local labour force, and local construction...
From Archiafrika a paper(pdf) by Rexford Assasie Oppong which highlights Thatch, a construction material whose benefits include"...its availability, unique climate modification capability and generally inherent high economic potentials of replenishability, natural and...
Essa Nyarungunga a software developer finds success-TMCNETFocus Nanotechnology Africa(FONAI)-A forum to look at nanotechnology and the potential impact for Africa. Construction in Nigeria to be the worlds fastest growingInvestors Without Borders launches a SME credit rating & Impact Investing...
NIDF points us to an impending development in Southeastern Nigeria-Enugu Golf City:The development team has been able to start with a clean slate and design a fully self-contained community in Nigeria, that seamlessly integrates luxury living with industrial and commercial activities within a conserved natural habitat that retains the indigenous flora and fauna in an ecstatic marriage of man and nature.More...
Spore reportsWith a tensile strength even greater than that of steel, coupled with an extremely light weight, bamboo is well-suited to a vast range of purposes. New technologies have developed bamboo as a strong and attractive construction material for entire buildings. Bamboo houses in Rarotonga, South Pacific stood up to hurricanes with winds up to 275 kph. Bamboo flooring can be made of pieces that have been steamed, flattened, glued together, finished, and cut. In the Caribbean, especially Suriname and Guyana, it is widely used for furniture production. More recently, bamboo has gained popularity as a product for making textiles. Bamboo fibre makes clothes with excellent wicking qualities, UV protection and odour absorption, making it ideal for the booming fitness sector. Tests show...
The WaPo reports on the winning design for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.The bronze, layered corona atop a stone base, according to David Adjaye, would be the defining element of the structure, which could be the last major building added to the expanse between the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument.... The crown concept, which would allow natural light to flow into the structure through bronze screens, was inspired by images from African and American history, Adjaye said, "this idea of uplifted praise sort of imagery." It evokes traditional headdresses worn by African-American women [he might be referring to this], as well as the colonial crown from Africa and the idea "that a hat-wearing person is a free person...who doesn't have to carry a load but...
Founded by inventor Jude Igwemezie Applied Rail Research Technologies a railway research and consultancy company:The company is a key developer of innovative track technology,they combine analytical tools available in Computer-Aided Design,Finite Element Analysis,and event simulation with data from laboratory and field testing to design better track.An affiliated company Transglobim provides integrated railroad construction services,they recently won a railway contract in...
Sally Kneidel highlights the off-grid Tshulu Camp whose aim "...is to stimulate the local economy by creating employment and micro-enterprise opportunities in tourism, agriculture and through small business development..."Much of the food prepared in the camp’s kitchen comes from their organic vegetable garden. The garden not only supplies food for the camp kitchen, but also provides employment for villagers living nearby. The vegetable garden is irrigated from underground, which is a plus, as water shortage is a big issue in Africa. The camp uses their waste sustainably too – composting all the vegetable and garden waste to enrich the soil for the organic farm. Meanwhile engineering news profiles an energy-independent house design:All electrical devices in the house are powered by...
More on South-South collaboration Third World Tech highlights Brazilian "direct seeder" technology.Tackling infrastructure development-AIDGMaking Tin Can Antenna'sTargeting small-holder farmers-African ExecutiveBreathable fabrics from Breathtex.Betcy real estates,Lekki Nigeria.Exporting cassava...
François-Xavier Freland of France 24 reports:Mopti - a town known for its mosque, its port - and its plastic bags. Nicknamed the 'Venice of Mali,' the town has decided to have a clean-up. The idea has come from Niger and is spreading across Africa: to collect the rubbish left over from modern civilization, and turn it into something else, in this case traditional-look paving stones...[continue...
Mixta Africa's philosophy is to build safe, decent housing at competitive, transparent prices, in the minimum time and to international quality standards. A key investor in the company is Kingdom Zephyr covered earlier,private equity wire reports:Pan-African private equity firm Kingdom Zephyr has invested EUR45m in Mixta Africa, an affordable housing developer that predominantly operates in the...
TSFR reports:Kyarwakya United Carpentry received a small joinery kit in 2006 which has helped them achieve their phenomenal growth of 500% since their start. Of the seven men and two women members, three have built commercial houses and two have bought land. Not content with their own success, the group has opened a training centre for young people in the community to ensure the next generation...
NEC is one of the:
...Largest steel fabricating and contracting companies in Namibia. The factory in Okahandja is fully equipped and staffed to carry out the fabrication of all types of major structural and mechanical steelworks to the most stringent specifications and requirements (ISO 9001 of 2000).The facilities include 8,000m2 of covered fabricated bays, served by 10 ton overhead...
On a rare occasion I was let out of the office to visit a construction site near Lhokseumawe in Aceh, where they were building the pre-fabricated houses which had been shipped from Canada. It was satisfying seeing the houses built, and the community already living in some of them, rather than just as a part [...]...
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Pre-paid health insurance for low income families launched in Nigeria.
Ethio-American Investment group plans a brewery investment in Ethiopia.-Reuters
Nubian Cheetah profiles Mbati a major steel roofing products manufacturer.
The Economist reports on the welcome addition of GTV a satellite-television company to the Pay-TV...
Consumer General Electric is undertaking the construction of a 100 Megawatt Independent Power Plant (IPP) in the Ikorodu local government area of Lagos State. The project will help reduce the shortfall and meet the ever growing demand of power supply in Nigeria-company...