Of late, I’ve sought to begin researching into cheaper, alternative building methodologies and materials that can be accessible to lower income classes as well as fit the tropical climate of Nigeria.
My research is, however, in its infancy, and as it crawls along I have already come across a plethora of possibilities that, while they may prove challenging, are interesting possibilities none the less. I’ve never been such a big fan of wood, (largely because I believe it to be tasking as I have, unfortunately, been trained to believe ‘block and mortar’ is the way), but nowadays, I’m beginning to see a certain appeal in it.
This appeal is made apparent, in a lovely sustainable home made predominantly of wood, supported by stone and accentuated by glass, all designed by Architecture Firm, BRIBURN.
The request from their client, was to craft a home that “looked like it belonged on its site”. They achieved this by employing natural materials though expressed in a more contemporary design language. The green roof is a wonderful feature that is designed to absorb up to an inch of rainwater and also help in regulating the home’s temperature in the summer.
Wide Overhangs on the sourthern facade of the building shade its expansive glazing, while the facades of the North and West face the pond by which the home sits. A polished concrete slab provides thermal mass for the first floor in a resplendent sheen that could easily match some tile or the other.
The planning is brilliant, with the use of shelving to separate functional spaces either as ‘walls’ or ‘railings’ creating a largely open plan that is further accentuated by the views of the surrounding vegetation through the large windows on both floors. Energy efficiency is delivered through the homes passive design with less dependence on utility grids and fossil fuels to cool or heat it. Its a simple and scalable design that offers ideas into what other ways we should be designing and building in Nigeria.
