A House in Luanda competition - Urban Carpet

Luanda, Angola

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A House in Luanda competition - Urban Carpet

Luanda, Angola

Firm

Type

Residential › Private House
Landscape + Planning › Private Garden Urban Green Space Masterplan

YEAR

2010

BUDGET

$10K - 50K

Task:
The aim of the competition was to design a single family dwelling that is radically cheap to build for Luanda, a city which is under extreme demographic pressure and is undergoing an intense process of transformation, and that is suited to the cultural, economic and social circumstances of the area.The designed house had to be a prototype of a family unit which leads to a patio, with a low construction cost, aimed at severely deprived families, typically consisting of 7-9 people (Parents, 3 children and 2 grandparents or Parents, 5 children, 2 grandparents), in an area of flat topography, located within the city limits of Luanda. The project had to include the possibility of dwellings that allow for evolutionary solutions, and possibly self-construction.
Concept:
Each lot with a size 10X25 meter has a grid system. This grid is a flexible scheme to choose the arrangement of open and closed spaces by the needs of the each family. The system also makes possible to rearrange or make further extensions for the living space inside the lot. Each lot will reflect urban and social development. Building materials are cement block walls on the perimeter of the lot as a main supporting construction and timber columns and beams for the inner modular system. To protect the building from moisture, constructional elements are placed over the stone support. The flat roof is covered with soil, which is a good thermal isolation. Green roofs are Eco-friendly and create additional space for leisure activities and also serve as a very pleasant looking 5th facade and for some kind of an urban carpet. To preserve ethnic and individual identity, some of the elements of the buildings can be custom. The shutters can have original form for an each house. Making decors on the wooden columns can encourage local handcraft.