This master thesis presents the analysis and the design of a Cultural Center for the city of Sedhiou, a sleepy little town in the region of Casamance in the South of Senegal, using upcycle products and local materials. It all started with the International Competition Kaira Looro, for the design of a meeting place, promoting culture and renovating the identity of the city of Sedhiou trying to reach the goal of creating a location where local cultures may have the chance to be told, passed and preserved. The purpose of the competition consists in creating an iconic architectural structure in order to preserve local cultures coming from the region, respecting the environment and improving conditions of communities . For this purpose, it was necessary to investigate on the context - to analyze the ethnographic, cultural, geographical and climatic settings, to focus on the most threatening aspects in the life of Sedhioù’s inhabitants - coordinating all the informations collected with learnings and inspirations from successful architectural projects. The building concept is based on the impluvium, a type of dwelling typical of Casamance region of Senegal. The four principle areas composed of a Precious Plastic workshop space, shows area, exhibition area and offices equipped with public restrooms, are arranged around a walkway that circumscribes the central Venetian well. The project is designed to establish a connection with the past tradition of the community and to be context-sensitive, reusing waste materials and making the most of local and natural materials provided from surrounding areas. The use of a process that recycles plastic and makes it into bricks, an existing technology which has already been proven successful as a business venture in other parts of the world, is certainly a possible solution to the mounting waste management crisis in the region and across the entire African continent, that is a pressing issue with dire health and safety consequences for the general public. Furthermore, timing and self-construction are the keys of this economic and sustainable intervention since there are no specialized workforce in Sedhiou. The building is designed according to bioclimatic criteria, such as the natural ventilation and the rainwater harvesting . The identity of the construction finds the fundamentals in the culture of the place but the ultimate goal of this project is to create a positive social, economic, and environmental impact in the location, remaining profitable and viable as a business.
La presente tesi riguarda l’analisi e la progettazione di un Centro Culturale in Sedhiou, una tranquilla città nella regione di Casamance nel Senegal meridionale, attraverso l’utilizzo di materiali riciclati e locali. L’idea ha origine con il Concorso Internazionale Kaira Looro per il progetto di un spazio di incontro per promuovere la cultura locale della città di Sedhiou, rinnovare la sua identità allo scopo di creare un luogo dove le culture locali possano essere raccontate, trasmesse e preservate. Lo scopo del concorso è quello di creare uno oggetto architettonico iconico per la valorizzazione delle culture locali, che rispetti nei materiali e nelle tecnologie l’ambiente. Per questo, è stato necessario indagare il contesto attraverso l’analisi delle caratteristiche etnografiche, culturali, geografiche e climatiche al fine di migliorare le condizioni di precarietà della comunità di Sedhiou- coordinando le informazioni così raccolte con esempi ed ispirazioni da progetti architettonici di successo. Il Concept dell’edificio si basa sull “impluvium’’, un tipo di abitazione tipica della regione di Casamance. Le quattro aree principali desinati al ‘Precious Plastic workshop’, agli spettacoli, all’esposizione e gli uffici dotati di servizi igienici, sono disposti attorno ad una passerella che circonda il pozzo veneziano centrale. Il progetto è pensato con l’obiettivo di stabilire una connessione con la tradizione passata della comunità, in grado di incidere con umiltà sul paesaggio, riutilizzando materiali di scarto e prediligendo l’uso di materiali naturali reperiti nelle aree circostanti. L’utilizzo di un processo che ricicli la plastica e la trasformi in mattoni, una tecnologia esistente che ha provato di avere successo in diverse parti del mondo, è sicuramente una possibile soluzione contro l’ammontare della crisi di gestione dei rifiuti nella regione ed in tutto il continente africano, un problema attuale con delle gravi conseguenze sulla salute e la sicurezza pubblica. Inoltre, l’attenzione ai tempi di realizzazione e all’auto-costruzione, in un’area priva di maestranze specializzate, é la chiave di questo intervento economico e sostenibile. Il manufatto progettato sulla base dell’architettura bio-climatica, come la ventilazione naturale e la raccolta dell’acqua piovana, trova la sua identità nella cultura del posto, ma l’obiettivo finale di questo progetto è di creare un impatto positivo a livello sociale economico ed ambientale.
Creating a sustainable practice for a cultural center in Senegal
BEN HAJ KACEM, ANSAR
2018/2019
Abstract
This master thesis presents the analysis and the design of a Cultural Center for the city of Sedhiou, a sleepy little town in the region of Casamance in the South of Senegal, using upcycle products and local materials. It all started with the International Competition Kaira Looro, for the design of a meeting place, promoting culture and renovating the identity of the city of Sedhiou trying to reach the goal of creating a location where local cultures may have the chance to be told, passed and preserved. The purpose of the competition consists in creating an iconic architectural structure in order to preserve local cultures coming from the region, respecting the environment and improving conditions of communities . For this purpose, it was necessary to investigate on the context - to analyze the ethnographic, cultural, geographical and climatic settings, to focus on the most threatening aspects in the life of Sedhioù’s inhabitants - coordinating all the informations collected with learnings and inspirations from successful architectural projects. The building concept is based on the impluvium, a type of dwelling typical of Casamance region of Senegal. The four principle areas composed of a Precious Plastic workshop space, shows area, exhibition area and offices equipped with public restrooms, are arranged around a walkway that circumscribes the central Venetian well. The project is designed to establish a connection with the past tradition of the community and to be context-sensitive, reusing waste materials and making the most of local and natural materials provided from surrounding areas. The use of a process that recycles plastic and makes it into bricks, an existing technology which has already been proven successful as a business venture in other parts of the world, is certainly a possible solution to the mounting waste management crisis in the region and across the entire African continent, that is a pressing issue with dire health and safety consequences for the general public. Furthermore, timing and self-construction are the keys of this economic and sustainable intervention since there are no specialized workforce in Sedhiou. The building is designed according to bioclimatic criteria, such as the natural ventilation and the rainwater harvesting . The identity of the construction finds the fundamentals in the culture of the place but the ultimate goal of this project is to create a positive social, economic, and environmental impact in the location, remaining profitable and viable as a business.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2019_12_BenHajKacem.pdf
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Descrizione: Testo della tesi
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/151559