Sidarec Community Media Center
Architecture for Humanity Competition
Nairobi, Kenya
The library and media center in Nairobi's biggest slum had to fulfill a number of challenging requirements because of site specifics. The materials are available locally and are very inexpensive. They include re-purposed scrap such as chain link fencing and corrugated tin.
The complex is compact and secure on the site with all spaces opening into a central courtyard that will become the home of community gatherings and learning opportunities. The construction techniques are intended to allow constant ventilation for natural cooling of the spaces. Masonry walls also help create a thermal mass for cooling purposes.
Unreliable infrastructure made it necessary to employ some active energy collection. Solar panels and wind turbines help alleviate some of the energy needs of the facility. The roofs are all pitched in order to collect runoff for use in the composting toilets onsite as well as for gardening in the open section of the site.
The facility is compact in order to create privacy and security while giving the rest of the site back to the community in the form of gardens and the possibility for future growth. The site is dotted with columns that have been supplied with power outlets. These columns can be used to hang shading devices or for a strong foundation to any future growth by the inhabitants and users.
Architecture for Humanity Competition
Nairobi, Kenya
The library and media center in Nairobi's biggest slum had to fulfill a number of challenging requirements because of site specifics. The materials are available locally and are very inexpensive. They include re-purposed scrap such as chain link fencing and corrugated tin.
The complex is compact and secure on the site with all spaces opening into a central courtyard that will become the home of community gatherings and learning opportunities. The construction techniques are intended to allow constant ventilation for natural cooling of the spaces. Masonry walls also help create a thermal mass for cooling purposes.
Unreliable infrastructure made it necessary to employ some active energy collection. Solar panels and wind turbines help alleviate some of the energy needs of the facility. The roofs are all pitched in order to collect runoff for use in the composting toilets onsite as well as for gardening in the open section of the site.
The facility is compact in order to create privacy and security while giving the rest of the site back to the community in the form of gardens and the possibility for future growth. The site is dotted with columns that have been supplied with power outlets. These columns can be used to hang shading devices or for a strong foundation to any future growth by the inhabitants and users.