CODESIGNLAB

our (dream) team

our (global) tools

yesterday prototyping the components

Following a recent UN habitat estimation 45% of the citizens of Cameroon (almost 6 millions of people) lives in slums . while international analysts say that 500 millions is the population that is going to live in urban area in Africa in 2020. 90% of whom will be living in slums.

Today is a very important day for the African Fabbers School here in Douala.

After having developed several researches, implemented the fabrication laboratory and trained local students we are now entering a new phase, we are now going for real!

With a group of craftsmen, students of fine art and young architects we will be confronted with a new challenge, the construction of the first prototype of ecological habitat made in Africa: The African Fabbers House.

Such prototype will be the final result of an experimental process as well as a collaborative approach through a research by design methodology.
We think, without any humanitarian rhetoric or postcolonial polemic, that now is the time to share our knowledges and develop new habitat solutions, low cost and off grid in Africa.
We believe that now is the time to encourage new forms of circular economy able to support such approach bridging vernacular and digital cultures as well as informal architectures and advanced technologies.

We are convinced that now is the time to shape our vision into something concrete and paradigmatic that could be adapted to different countries in difficulty such as Mozambique etc.

We hope that such African research could also inspire the architectural debate in Europe than has a desperate need to reconcile itself with a real understanding of social and environmental design. This climatic crisis needs an adequate response.

We strongly believe on the social role of architecture and design. Therefore we have decided to involve our African students into something closer to the needs of the real world.

Time is now!