Today
is a rainy day here in Milano and maybe for inspiration, Sustainable
Diary speaks of a water story. As
you know on our planet water levels are steadily rising, and along
west Africa's densely populated coast many waterfront communities are
finding themselves inundated with the problem of adaptive housing
solutions that withstand swelling tides and swift currents.
NLÉArchitects has been working on a three-phase plan for the waterfront
community of Makoko in Lagos, in Nigeria. An estimated 250,000 people
live here, they trade, shop and build aquafarms on the lagoon's
waters. This slum was said to be created in the 18th century as a
fishing village, but has ballooned as others have sought to find a
home.
Each
year, the tropical rains that lash Lagos, overwhelm the colonial-era
drainage system. The NLÉ's project will transform the already
buoyant city into a contemporary community on the water's surface
with independent floating structures made of local materials applied
in new ways.
First
step of the project is the realization of the Makoko Floating School,
a triangular form in section constructed with timber on a platform
supported by empty blue plastic drums. The 3-storey structure
contains a common area for children to play on as its base, with two
floors for classrooms above it. The energy supply is based on
renewable technology, this with the water catchment systems make the
dynamic educational facility partially self sustainable.
The
school is expected to serve the urgent needs of educating children in
the community, and also as a floating building pilot project for
African water communities.
"Particularly
in view of climate change, there's a need to adapt buildings. We
decided to use this as a prototype for developing something whether
the water level rises or goes down, the building responds to that,"
said architect Kunle Adeyemi from NLÉ.
The
school was completed in the end of February, the floating houses
being finished in September of this year and the Lagos Water
Community project by the end of 2014 which will herald a new era for
coastal developments in Africa.
More
info
website
NLÉ Architects
Photo
credit © NLÉ Architects
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