The design focuses on the relationship between natural materials and their return to nature. The structure consists of locally sourced and recycled materials so that the costs can be reduced and affordability and sustainability can be increased. All the materials are cheap and easy to process, so people can collect them themselves and build them. The building mainly uses recycled tires filled with sand, wild bamboo, and a mixture of sand, red clay, and straw, which are readily available and easy to make without additional advanced equipment. Foundation Laterite stone mitigates the onset of water and facilitates drainage, with an added polyethylene film that acts as a vapor barrier. Tires filled with Laterite stone provide a stable basis for the foundation instead of expensive concrete. The floor is made by applying a thin layer of concrete and thin layers of broken tiles, drawing a mosaic. The wall structure is made of recycled tires filled with sand, into which bamboo pillars are po
Soulabali is a hamlet along numerous other hamlets set up in a forest reserve that spreads between the villages of Kolda and Pata in southern Senegal. Houses here are mostly circular with conical roofs covered with straw, and all have earthen walls. The architecture is in harmony with natural life cycles. The houses will eventually return to “nature” after a hundred years – without leaving behind any residues or contamination – and break down into their original material. The Maternity Centre project aims to deliver a sensitive self-build healthcare space that harnesses locally sourced natural and recycled materials, utilizes sustainable construction methods, and is designed to integrate into its rural setting. The load-bearing structure's inner layer is composed of recycled tires. The tires are filled with sand and arranged to build the walls of the building. The walls are covered with mud between bamboo frames, similar to a Wattle-and-daub construction. The building conforms to a pro
