Group 7_Kaira Looro Women's House Report by ABPL90277_HumanitarianConstruction

Kaira Looro Women’s Centre in Senegal Final Report ABPL90277 Humanitarian Construction Summer Intensive Group 7 Jingyan Liu_973564 Sze Kei Lai_Joyce_794897 Tianlong Gao_971558

Contents Section Introduction 1

Fundamental Considerations

Architectural Design Considerations

1.1 Stakeholders 1.2 WASH 1.21 Water Access 1.22 Potable Water 1.23 Toilet Systems 1.3 Women Health Consideration 1.31 Childcare & Nursing Room 1.4 POWER 1.5 Gender Equality 1.51 Rice Farming

2.1 Context Study 2.11 Ideal Site 2.12 Vernacular Architecture in Baghere Village 2.13 Use of Metal Roof Sheeting 2.14 Use of Weaving Technique 2.15 Local Material 2.16 Zoning 2.2 Drawings 2.21 Plan 2.22 Section 2.23 Exterior Perspective 2.24 Interior Perspective

Construction Design Considerations

3.1 Background 3.2 Selection of Building Materials 3.3 Construction Details 3.31 Timber Frame 3.32 Wattle and Daub Wall 3.33 Roof 3.4 Construction Process 3.41 Distribution of Labour during Construction 3.42 Construction Process Diagram 3.5 Detail Wall Section 3.6 Gantt Chart of Construction Programme 3.7 Construction Cost

Conclusion Reference

FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS Jingyan Liu

Introduction

The safety issues, health issues and education issues of African women have attracted more and more attention from people all over the world. Due to the backward economic conditions and some inherent backward ideas, many African women suffer from long-term persecution and diseases. In order to change this situation, this project will establish a women’s home in Baghere, Senegal, to protect local women. The main purpose of the project is to safeguard women’s equal rights, educate local women on their self-reliance, and provide a safe shelter for local women. The women’s house is designed to be managed by local women in the community to promote gender equality and promote women’s rights. Women in Africa suffer from long-term unequal treatment, such as early marriage, violent abuse, and deprivation of education. Such tragic incidents are very common in Africa. Therefore, it is very important to establish a place dedicated to women’s safety protection and education. Local woman are also facing very serious physical health problems. Many underage girls are forced to marry early. These behaviours can lead to underage pregnancy, gynecological diseases and many other dangerous reproductive health problems, and even threaten women’s lives. According to UNICEF survey data, the maternal mortality rate in 2019 was 0.216%, compared with 0.385% in 1990. Although it has dropped a lot, this data is still very scary. If you want to promote gender equality on a global scale, you have to pay attention to the areas where women are the most persecuted. In some villages in Senegal, there are still some backward cultural customs, so in addition to providing a refuge for local women when they suffer violence. The more important purpose of the Women’s House is to change these problems ideologically. It needs to educate women to be independent and free, to train them to be able to rely on their own skills and to popularize courses on women’s physical health. Therefore, the project has two most important tasks. One is to provide local women with a refuge with clean water, food and toilets, and the other is to achieve a place for education and promotion of gender equality. In order to achieve the above objectives, we carried out a series of conceptual designs for the project.

1.1 Stakeholders

1.2 WASH

1.21 Water Access

After investigation, it was found that in the Baghere village of Senegal, only a few wells were dug using rural methods. These wells did not reach the ground and caused serious problems in water supply. In addition, there is serious salt intrusion in this area, which can cause acidification to pollute underground soil and water. Because of these contaminated water sources, many local children and elderly people are infected with diseases. The project intends to excavate a modern water well that can be used independently by the women’s house, which can reach the depth of the groundwater layer, and equip it with a desalination and penetration system powered by solar energy, and can sterilize and sterilize bacteria and viruses through ultraviolet rays. This well can provide the water needs of about 3000 people in the surrounding villages and towns, and there are similar wells in the neighbouring village of Sembanga, so it is assumed that the site has experience in building such solar wells and can successfully build another well in Baghere Village. This solar water well is a humanitarian construction model. In addition to providing clean and edible water to the villagers, the well can also be used to gather the villagers. An awning can be built around the well for water to come. While queuing up to fetch water, villagers in the country were able to avoid the direct exposure of the harsh African sun. The water source is a very sacred existence in the hearts of the locals, so the white water well can satisfy the local people’s worship of the water source. In addition to spiritual care, the well will also use a 24v lift immersion pump to pump water, which is powered by solar energy. The solar water well can achieve the preliminary water purification effect. After a series of ultraviolet sterilization, sand filtration and permeation filtration, all sediments are removed, which has the effect of further desalination and sterilization.

(Image source: https://www.e-architect.com/africa/solar-well-in-senegal) 8

1.2 WASH

1.22 Potable Water

According to a survey conducted by the World Health Organization, except for Mauritius, Egypt and Seychelles, the pipe network coverage in Africa is above 95%, and the pipe network coverage in other countries is very low. Countries such as the Central African Republic and Liberia are even less than 10%. Even in areas covered by pipe networks and water plants, there will still be “restricted drinking water services”, and many people need a long time to fetch water from long distances every day. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are 8 countries where at least 20% of their citizens use limited services. Because it takes time and cost to obtain safe drinking water, it prevents people from having more time to obtain food, work and study, which also creates obstacles to eradicate poverty and hunger. Therefore, it is a top priority to provide a safe and stable drinking water purification program for the women’s home. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is an effective way to solve the problem of drinking water in areas where the infrastructure is not complete. Rainwater harvesting is usually a system that collects roof and courtyard rainwater and stores it in a tank for future use. Rainwater harvesting is a common practice in Africa, and it has effectively improved the water supply plight of residents. Studies have also shown that rainwater is safer than unimproved water sources. However, it should be noted that drinking untreated rainwater may also lead to the risk of illness. Therefore, treatment of rainwater before drinking is a very important step.

(Proportion of population using improved drinking water source; source: World Health Organization)

Image source: https://www.stratco.com. au/products/rainwater-tanks/ 9

1.2 WASH

1.22 Potable Water

Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is a simple water treatment technology that is more suitable for household applications. It is for the purpose of sterilization and disinfection by increasing solar radiation to kill microorganisms in the water. This method is especially suitable for African countries with strong solar radiation such as Senegal.

( Image source: https://sswm.info/ node/7818)

Boiling is one of the most widely used water treatment methods in the world. Although this method is ancient, it is very effective. Untreated water often contains bacteria, viruses or microorganisms and parasites that can cause diarrhoea. After boiling, it can effectively kill most of the pathogenic factors. However, after investigation, it was found that only a few of the 22 African countries have mastered this technology. Therefore, one of the tasks of this project is to enable local residents to master this technology through publicity and education.

A more effective way is to use a biological sand filter for preliminary water purification. The principle of operation is to use plastic or concrete pouring containers with specially selected and sterilized sand and gravel. When the untreated water passes through the sand When stone, it will filter out some pathogens, iron, manganese and other substances that are not conducive to health. The advantage of this method is that the cost of one-time construction and maintenance is small; a relatively large amount of water can be filtered, and 30 L of water can be filtered at a time; the use of local raw materials can promote employment opportunities for local enterprises; it has a long service life and is easy to use and maintain.

(Image source: https://sswm.info/ node/7818) 10

1.2 WASH

1.23 Toilet Systems

According to Senegal’s National Bureau of Statistics and Demographic Statistics (ANSD), 32% of Senegal’s population does not have “improved toilet facilities”. In this part of the population, 15% of people defecate in the open and do not use the toilet every day. Ousmane Ba, the deputy principal of Blaise Diagne High School, mentioned that toilet problems have an impact on academic performance, especially for girls, who are unable to go to school all day due to menstrual problems. If the local women lose valuable educational opportunities due to hygiene problems, it will undoubtedly be the biggest problem. Therefore, to improve this problem, this project will purchase dry toilets, doors, paint and tiles for the construction of toilets in the women’s home. Taking into account the local habit and conditions, for rural areas and a large number of underdeveloped areas, in the absence of municipal pipe networks, blindly copying urban flush toilets is definitely inappropriate. This project decided to use the most traditional dry toilets to solve the problem of women’s toilet hygiene. The toilet in this project uses a urine and faeces diversity toilet, which is a toilet collects and processes urine and faeces separately, also called dry toilets. Urine and faeces-diversified ecological toilets can not only implement urine and faeces diversity, do not flush with water, are clean and hygienic, and save water resources. Another important function is that after the harmless treatment of urine and faeces, it can feed back the local ecological agriculture.

(Image source: https://www.jsjyg.com/xinwen/guoji/202007139760.html) 11

1.2 WASH

1.23 Toilet Systems

Design Basis 1. Physiologically, feces and urine come from two different secretory systems. 2. There are almost no pathogenic microorganisms in the urine of normal people, and the microorganisms contained in the urine are actually present in the environment; and the vast majority of enteroviruses, intestinal pathogens, intestinal parasites and eggs It is excreted together with faeces, which is a source of pollution that spreads human intestinal infectious diseases. 3. The nutrients contained in human excrement are mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and more than 80% of these nutrients are present in urine. Based on the above-mentioned basis, urine and feces are collected separately in urine and faeces-diversity toilets, and the large, nutrient-rich and basically harmless urine is collected in a closed manner. After a period of fermentation, water is added as liquid fertilizer; Few and more harmful faeces are collected separately in the compost bin and fermented and decomposed, used as an excellent soil amendment for agricultural production. The fermented and improved manure can be used as fertilizer for the two farms in this project, which not only solves the problem of manure treatment, but also solves the problem of land fertilization.

1.3 Woman Health Consideration 1.31 Childcare & Nursing Room

Childcare and nursing rooms are necessary to the project. The childcare room is a place for younger children to play and provide protection for them while women are at work. Therefore, the setting of childcare and nursing rooms creates a place where women can share breaks and dedicate themselves to the care of children who can play and stay protected while their mothers work.

1.4 POWER

Electricity is very scarce in sub-Saharan African countries. In the past, they relied on burning charcoal or oil lamps for lighting, which is not only unfriendly to the environment, but also has certain safety risks. One of the goals of this project is to enable women in Baghere village to use safe and environmentally friendly energy. According to the survey, some of the more developed cities in Senegal have mature solar energy industries, and a considerable number of companies have foreign solar companies such as the World Bank’s subsidiary Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) as the sponsor, so it is possible to use mature solar products. After the below calculation, it can be concluded that the total lighting demand of the women’s home is 5.32kw/h per day, which is 1060kwh/year. The solar panel model to be used in this project is Monocrystalline Silicon PV Modules. The size of this solar panel is 1.63m2, and each can provide electricity of 0.265kwh. After calculation, it can be calculated to meet the lighting needs of the entire women’s home at least 19 solar panels of this type are needed, covering an area of 31m2. The project will install these solar panels on the left side of the playground in front of the main building.

(Image source: https://africa-energy-portal.org/news/ senegal-miga-issues-69-million-guarantee-kael-andkahone-solar-parks) 13

1.5 Gender Equality 1.51 Rice Farming

Until the goal of gender equality is achieved, there is still a long way to go to increase the political participation and economic empowerment of African women and girls, although they still face many challenges in achieving gender equality in all fields , we have seen a ray of hope: compared to 20 years ago, in Africa today, more and more girls are receiving primary and secondary education, and more women have started to occupy leadership positions. positions in their respective jobs. All this work has not been completed. Girls still need to receive primary and secondary education to have the opportunity to go to university. They must not marry too soon. However, African women have slowly benefited from this formal education. They have never been so determined to create wealth for themselves while inspiring other women to achieve economic independence and contribute to economic development. For women and girls, to get rid of unemployment and obtain sustained economic freedom, one of the most common is the path of entrepreneurship. Gender equality activists say that without the protection of relevant laws, the patriarchal social structure will pull young women out of the ranks of economic development and women will always be at a disadvantage in terms of business and employment. In some areas, women do not even have the right to own their own land. Therefore, this project will design a farming area in the activity area that can be used by women in the surrounding communities free of charge. In this area, they will achieve partial land freedom. According to relevant research, this area is a rice-producing area in Senegal, so we will a land area of 504m2 is designed as a rice planting area. This design will help give local women and girls opportunities and help them obtain the right to work and results. We believe that this move will be of great significance to improving the status of women and enhancing their potential contribution to the African economy. At the same time, the rice produced in this area will meet the basic living needs of women and children in the community, and the rest of the rice will be sold at the market, and the money earned will be used as the activity funds for the women’s home to regularly organize some recreational activities.

(Image source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00117/full) 14

1.5 Gender Equality 1.51 Rice Farming

To promote gender equality, we have set up rice-growing areas, and we believe that rice farming can achieve this goal from two aspects which are women income increases and contribute to innovation of rice farming. Firstly, we assume that most part of the rice harvest will be distributed to the local women who participate in rice farming, and their income will directly increase. When women’s economic capabilities improve to a certain extent, their social and family status and sense of self-identity will be improved accordingly. Generally speaking, “women’s income tends to benefit children and other vulnerable groups more than does the income of men”. We hope that eventually, this measure will not only promote gender equality, but also benefit the growth of the next generation. On the other hand, it is said ‘in many parts of West Africa, rice as women’s crop’, which indicates that rice is mainly produced by female farmers. However, past efforts to develop and transfer new rice technologies have often bypassed female farmers. Take this opportunity, local women can try to explore new planting techniques and conduct research on improving rice production in this paddy field. In the near future, women can contribute to innovation of rice framing. The plant of the center is based on the aggregation of two buildings: one with organic shapes with longitudinal development within which follow each other spaces for storage of the harvest, processing and packaging of rice and an additional space where children are housed, with a small kitchen and a common room where women can rest, eat and pray. The two buildings are connected by a courtyard covered by a woven straw roof that in addition to providing shade, allows you to collect rainwater into a tank.

1.5 Gender Equality 1.51 Rice Farming

1. Background (current rice production and consumption) Based on data from the U.S. (Department of Agriculture) Foreign Agricultural Service, the rice production in Senegal during 2020 is nearly 0.78 million metric tons. However, the consumption levels are estimated at 1.78 million metric tons when considering population growth, which means the supply and demand of local rice are in a serious imbalance. Therefore, there is 504 square meters rice paddy set up in the northeast corner to provide as much rice as possible to the beneficiaries of the project. 2. Lowland Rainfed Rice 1) Characteristics of lowland rainfed rice Located in the mid-upper Casamance and close to the Casamance River, Baghere is an ideal place to grow lowland rainfed rice. The planting activities of this type of crop is mostly undertaken by women, therefore, this makes it perfectly suited for planting in the project. The detailed information is in the table below.

(*In rainfed lowland areas rice-other food crops system is practised if water supply is assured. Source: http://www.fao.org/3/y4347e/y4347e1k.htm) 2) Water Usage

3) Planting Seasons and Growth Mechanism

In rainfed lowland areas rice-other food crops system is practiced if water supply is assured. 16

1.5 Gender Equality 1.51 Rice Farming

3. Ideal Yield of Rice Considering the planting area, the yield of rice can reach 0.207828t under the ideal condition, which demonstrates that the supply of rice can cover a certain amount of project beneficiaries. If surplus exists, it can be sold to subsidize the expenses of this project. (= 4.14 t/Ha = 4.14*10^-4 t/m2, in 2014, 504m2 can produce 0.207828t rice. Assume that an adult needs 0.4kg=0.0004 t/day, 519 people can be fed per day; *1000kg = 1 mt = 2204pounds, 1ton = 2000pounds; number of beneficiaries = 7,800 women) 4. Rice Variety The construction techniques are very simple, and then during the construction, local people can acquire new knowledge. The Centre gathering and sorting rice will be the engine of development of the area because in addition to promoting exchanges between the little villages that will use it, the better organization of production will allow the development of related activities that generate new forms of economy. Near the rice’s center will be possible to create a cooking school, several laboratories for the production of the rice’s derivatives (as flour and rice milk), for the production of rice paper and for the realization of building materials reusing the production waste.

Rice Variety

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Sze Kei Lai_Joyce

2.1 Context Study 2.11 Ideal Site

The ideal site locates beside a main road along a flat terrain with sandy-lateritic soil, it is bounded by trees which provides a sense of security that makes it an ideal site for the women house. However, as observed from the photos and map, access points are hardly found that makes the place very difficult to access. The design proposal will be addressing this issue by creating multiple access points to the building.

Images showing the existing condition of the ideal site

2.1 Context Study

2.12 Vernacular Architecture in Baghere Village

Natural Material The characteristics of vernacular architecture in Baghere Village uses natural material and local building technique. The sense of materiality and rawness is expressed by not adding any addition decoration and finishing as cladding, the expression is the material itself. Local Building Technique As heavy machines may not be readily available in that area, the material are treated by workers manually using their traditional building method. Unique tectonics are created through the expression of raw materiality and traditional building technique.

Images showing the use of raw material and built by traditional technique

2.1 Context Study

2.12 Vernacular Architecture in Baghere Village

Linear Form The architectural expression found in the community building, eg. school, medical service, market etc. shares a common ground which they usually has a linear form, use of veranda and use of vibrant colour at fenestrations. The linear form allows sunlight to get in the building easily and connection of the fenestrations on two-sides to the outdoor space. Veranda As the form is in linear, the veranda creates a long shaded corridor where people can enjoy the semiopen space to connect with the nature. Vibrant Colour As above-mentioned, the vernacular architecture tends to use raw material which are mainly in mud colour. In order to outstand the building, vibrant colour is used as a highlight.

Images showing community buildings with vernacular characteristics

2.1 Context Study

2.13 Use of Metal Roof Sheeting

As observed in the given photos, a lot of the building roof have used metal roof sheeting due to its durability and low maintenance. Due to the tropical climate and seasonal raining in Senegal, it is important to chose a material that prevent the roof from water leakage, metal roof is an ideal choice which is low cost and long-lasting throughout different seasons. This inexpensive choice is highly manageable after the quick construction. Also, as we are proposing to collect rainwater, our single pitched metal roof form creates a large catchment area that allows more water to be collected at once. The common use and easy installation of the metal roofing makes it highly acceptable in the local culture.

Images showing the use of metal roof sheeting

2.1 Context Study

2.14 Use of Weaving Technique

The weaving technique is one of the commonly use skills in weaving fences to separate spaces on street, as this is a traditional culture in Senegal, we applied the weaving technique to the screening in between spaces to bring this tradition into the building. As there are penetrations through the weaving, it only blocks the sight of outsiders but still allows sunlight and fresh air to pass through, this makes it an ideal option as space separator.

Images showing the use of weaving technique

2.1 Context Study 2.15 Local Material

Among all the available material, timber, metal roof sheeting, shell and tyre are the chosen material to be used in the building. Timber is used as both structural and the cladding of the house due to its simplicity in construction that no heavy equipment is needed. Metal roof sheeting is used due to its durability and easy maintenance while shell and tyre will be used as decoration, courtyard and playground feature. The use of local material does not only make the building more sustainable but also minimize the construction cost and allows maintenance easier in the future.

Images showing different locally available material

2.1 Context Study 2.16 Zoning

Based on the study and research on local context through our own research, the competition brief, the materials given and basic requirement of each space, sketch master layout plan and floor plan is produced to establish relationship between the internal programme and its relationship with the outdoor space. This forms a basis of detail planning and arrangement of space for the layout of different spatial relationships. Schedule of Accommodation

Sketch Master Layout Plan 32

Sketch Programme Zoning

2.2 Drawings 2.21 Plan

The proposed project consist of three blocks creating different access points of the building which are mainly the north, south and west. As people arrives at different access point, they can easily walk to their destination as the building is broken down into blocks that creates corridor to allow people to walk under the shade in a tropical area. Other than the original functions, three new functions has been added which includes the basket weaving workshop, childcare area and the nursing room. The nursing room is purposely placed at a secluded location which is within the childcare area inside the basket weaving workshop. The reason is because we would want to provide a sense of security that women will not be notice by man when they are heading to the nursing room. The relationship between the childcare and workshop area is that mothers can oversee their kids while working which provide a secure area to work and take care their kids at the same time. The southern block consists of the dialogue and collective hall where spaces are interchangeable by using movable partition so space can be flexibly and adaptively divided or combined according to the area needed for the respective activities. Priority has been given to collective hall and the basket weaving workshop as they have direct visual connection to the courtyard. The collective hall can even be opened up to the courtyard in the event of bazaar held in the courtyard which provides an additional indoor area for different events, the space can then be enlarged by occupying the dialogue area to accommodate more people.

Floor Plan

2.2 Drawings 2.21 Plan

Cultural practice has been put into consideration by placing the nursing room separating from the toilet and the separation of male and female toilet. As toilet is regarded as an germ-infested area, such separation provides a hygienic space for mum to feed their baby comfortable and safely. Another concern is the privacy issue of locating the nursing room right next to the toilet which is directing opened to the public, this may lead unnecessary concern when a male walked passed the nursing room while a mother is breast feeding her baby. Due to the sensitivity of male and female space, the separation male and female toilet is to avoid female’s worry when using the toilet. As women would not like to be seen when heading to the toilet, it is purposely placed away from the building to make this behaviour less noticeable. However, the unintended negative consequence of placing the toilet away from the main buildings is that in case any incident take place, it can hardly be noticed and respond quickly. Also, the small area at the back of toilet is not within the sight of the main building which crime may take place easily without noticing.

Floor Plan

2.2 Drawings 2.22 Section

The courtyard is the heart of the cluster which provides an outdoor space where people can gather and relax. Passive design has been adopted to the building through enabling natural ventilation to take place at the window and spaces in between trusses, this creates allow cool fresh air to get into the building and push away the hot air. This is an important mechanism as mechanical cooling system are not common in Senegal where they tend to make good use natural method to cool the building down without consuming energy.

The single-pitched roof facing southwest benefits the building in two ways, the capturing of natural daylight and rainwater collection. As the daylight comes from south in Senegal, by facing the roof in south can maximise the daylight capture and reduce the lighting energy consumption. As for the rainwater collection, the metal roof creates a large catchment area that allows collection of a large amount of rainwater and to be stored at the 5000L rainwater tank located behind the toilet.

Process Diagram

Section 38

A visual connection is created between the courtyard and the building blocks that even though people may not know each other but they will still have a sense of harmony when using the same space. The internal courtyard also creates an openness and creates a sense of community where people are not isolated and can share thoughts under shaded tree. The connection between outdoor and indoor space will be stronger when the collective hall is opened up to the courtyard where people can move freely from the building to the natural environment, this also brings the nature closer for the people to relax.

2.2 Drawings

2.23 Exterior Perspective As people enter from the southwest entrance, they will approach to the building block where they can either get into the block or continue moving towards the courtyard. The building uses recycled timber as structure and wall cladding, recycled shell is used as decorative cladding at the bottom part of the wall while metal roof sheeting is used for the roof. Women is involved in the project through designing the pattern of the recycled shell and also weave the pattern for the window shade and screening. Their design sense can be fully utilised by adapting their skills into the building which will also making them feel rewarding when the project is completed. The veranda along the building opens the building up that allows people to access the building in different directions and the use of screening gives a welcoming feeling as people walk pass. However, the unintended negative consequence is the security issue as screening can hardly be locked up, valuables should be avoided to be placed in those areas. Exterior Perspective from Entrance

2.2 Drawings

2.23 Exterior Perspective As people move to the courtyard, they can enjoy sitting on the benches and kids can play with the facilities made of recycled tyre. Recycled tyres are fully utilised and cut into different configurations to create various courtyard and playground features, such as planters, benches, seesaw etc. Mothers can sit on the bench in the courtyard and oversee their kids playing in the playground. The windows of the basket weaving workshop also allows mothers to keep an eye on their children while working. A sense of community is very strong as people move to this courtyard where informal gathering, chatting, playing and other activities can perform nicely under good weather. A sense of openness can also be felt as nearly all the other spaces can be seen when standing in the courtyard.

Exterior Perspective of Courtyard

2.2 Drawings

2.24 Interior Perspective The rendering shows the collective space is turned into a basket weaving bazaar where women can sell their baskets to earn some income. People walking along the veranda or looking in from the windows on the side will notice this activity and come in to appreciate women’s artwork. This space is also transformed to a basket showcase area as a lot of women’s work can be displayed and they can also gain a sense of reward through the activity. The flooring has used recycled plastic which gives a colourful interior without adding any extra decoration. The weaving pattern of the screening, window shade, shell cladding and recycled plastic flooring come together which gives a sense of belonging as all of the above- mentioned items are sourced from the local community.

Interior Perspective of Collective Hall during Basket Weaving Bazaar

CONSTRUCTION DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Tianlong Gao

3.1 Background

Baghere is located in Casamance, southern Senegal. The local climate belongs to tropical savanna climate. The local average rainfall is higher than the rest of Senegal. Moreover, the community is located in an area that is more vulnerable to flooding threats. Because the local areas are mostly unplanned settlements and are located in relatively low-lying areas. Due to the defects of the drainage system, rivers and mountain floods are flooded every year, and they are also affected by extreme weather. Local houses and buildings will also be affected by the intrusion of seawater, resulting in salinization. Relevant information shows that most local vernacular buildings are dominated by circular low-rise buildings, and the external walls are mostly made of clayey earth or mud, and straws are used to cover them to form a conical roof (Pelmoine & Mayor, 2020). Therefore, in the women’s centre project, we will choose the local prevailing construction techniques as much as possible to meet the conditions of self-construction. As local residents are more familiar with these construction technologies and have a certain basic understanding ability, which can reduce the demand for specialist contractors. The decision can facilitate speeding up the entire construction process and reduce the cost of project construction.

Local Architecture 48

3.2 Selection of Building Materials

Due to the limited funds for the whole project, using local materials as much as possible for construction is beneficial to resource acquisition and budget control. In addition, the selection of building materials and the overall construction concept of the women’s centre will fully consider environmental protection and sustainability, and meet the conditions for straightforward self-build. In the early stage of the design, we investigated that bamboo and trees are abundant in the local area, so we decided to use timber frame as the main structural system. The wall structure adopts the wattle-anddaub wall construction technique that widely used in the local area, and the roof may use metal roof which made of corrugated galvanised iron.

Locally Available Material 49

3.3 Construction Details 3.31 Timber Frame

We have adopted a more traditional construction method, namely a timber frame structure that are joined with pegs. Because wood is an environment-friendly natural renewable resource, natural trees can be converted into building materials through anti-corrosion treatment and simple processing, and only a small amount of energy is needed in the process, so the damage to the environment can be minimized in the whole construction process, which has led to more and more buildings preferring to use wood as the main building material. As one of the few natural building materials, the wood does not contain toxic substances, and will not release toxic gases after the building is put into operation in the future, which can protect the health of the occupants from any adverse effects. Another feature of timber is that compared with other major building materials, it is light in weight, easy to install, easy to obtain locally, and low in transportation costs, which is conducive to the development of local economy and reduces unnecessary energy waste for long-distance transportation. Besides, wood has excellent natural aesthetics, and a variety of wooden products provide a wide range of aesthetic choices to increase design flexibility and meet different aesthetic design needs. In addition to aesthetics, it can also provide better durability and thermal performance. Although the wooden frame is a light-weight building type, the structure is strictly designed to ensure that the overall structure is strong and durable. As wood is a natural insulator, timber frame structure can easily meet the insulation standard without the need for other thermal barriers. Compared with masonry buildings, wood frames can provide more insulation space, which will help the building in its life cycle to reduce the need for energy and using less energy to heat and cool buildings usually means using less fossil fuels to maintain indoor thermal comfort.

Connection between Different Members 50

3.3 Construction Details 3.31 Timber Frame

Timber frame requires shorter construction time. After pre-processing and cutting in advance and simple anti-corrosion treatment in a prefabrication factory, local residents can quickly master the construction skills of relatively simple wooden structures under the leadership of carpenters. Compared with the masonry structure, it requires less technical labour and saves a lot of time and money. In addition, the relatively durable structure reduces the concerns of later maintenance and effectively reduces the operational cost during the entire life cycle. In this design, we have adopted the design concept of open floor plan more, so as to provide more open space for the interior. Thanks to the excellent flexibility, durability, and strength of the wooden frame, the women’s centre can greatly reduce the load-bearing internal walls to support the superstructure. In the process of design and construction, it has a higher degree of flexibility to meet different use requirements. Different from the usual timber stud wall framing, we will carve some grooves on the top and bottom plates, studs and noggings so that they can be embedded with the bamboo strips when erecting the external wall. For the joints, we will utilise a traditional method to fit them. Trenches of even thickness are carved in the top and bottom plates to receive the studs. And then, plates are fixed to studs by driving 100 mm nails through the plate into the stud. If a more stable joint is needed, two nails can be driven crossly into the plate at an angle.

Carving of the Bottom Plate

Trenched Joint 51

3.3 Construction Details 3.32 Wattle and Daub Wall

Wattle and daub wall construction can be summarized as covering the bamboo skeleton with a mixture of clay and plant fibres to insulate and protect the internal structure. Compared with traditional masonry walls, it has a lower thermal mass, which plays a vital role in cooling the room, especially reducing the thermal lag caused by the masonry wall after sunset, effectively improving the thermal comfort. In the traditional method, freshly cut wet bamboo is used to build a wattled wall. The author assumes that the purpose of this may be that the fresh bamboo has higher toughness and plasticity, which is convenient for shaping bamboo and weaving them into the internal frame part of the wall. This construction method is similar to other construction techniques in the preliminary preparation part. The site surface is cleaned first, and the location of the wall that needs to be placed on the ground is determined and marked. Then, a deeper foundation pit will be dug out with a shovel and other tools to place bamboo pillars about 300-600 mm deep. Before filling the backfill soil into the foundation pit, all bamboo stems need to be placed vertically to form the entire perimeter of the external wall. Afterwards, the bamboo strips are woven horizontally to form the wattling. If opening is required on the wall, cut the part with a machete. In the next step, plant fibres such as clayey earth, termite soil and straw will be added with water and mixed together. After soaking for a few days, they will be thrown at the wattling by hand until the bamboo structure is completely covered, and then the surface will be flattened with the palm of the hand. Finally, bricks or backfill soil will be used as the bottom support of the external wall to support the entire wall. However, we realize that this traditional method has certain shortcomings, and try to improve this method, so as to actually apply it in our construction design.

Traditional Method of Wattle and Daub Wall 52

Improved Method of Wattle and Daub Wall

3.3 Construction Details 3.32 Wattle and Daub Wall

First of all, the freshly felled bamboo contains a lot of moisture and some microorganisms. If it is applied to the wall immediately and rendered with the clay for sealing, it may accelerate the decay of the internal frame of the wall and eventually cause the wall to collapse. In the women’s centre, we will change the structure to timber stud wall framing prefabricated in the factory. Organize some local women to complete the weaving of bamboo wattling and embed them in the timber framework offsite. After completion, place the entire wall frame in the sun to evaporate a large amount of moisture inside, and kill bacteria that may cause bamboo mildew, so as to increase the lasting stability and durability of the structure, reduce the cost of subsequent maintenance, and avoid the possible risks caused by the collapse of the wall structure. In addition, erecting bamboo directly in the soil is likely to accelerate the erosion of bamboo by the soil, thereby threatening the stability of the wall structure. Therefore, we improved the construction process to fix the timber framework on the concrete slab footing and then weave and inlay the bamboo strips in the stud wall, effectively avoiding the direct contact of bamboo and wood with the soil and ensuring the stability of the structure. Furthermore, the external force exerted on the structure such as on-site weaving and cutting opening in the traditional method may make the structure loose, and even destroy the integrity and coherence of the structure. In addition, using the palm to smooth the clay attached to the wall structure not only affects the appearance, but also has hidden structural hazards. After a long period of wind, rain and sun exposure, the clay will easily fall off the wall, and it will not be able to achieve the proper sealing and insulation purposes. We will improve to cover the exposed part of the wall with cement mortar, and smooth the surface with steel trowel, and may doodle the wall in the future to increase its beauty.

The Wattle and Daub Wall after the Clay Daub falls of 53

3.3 Construction Details 3.33 Roof

The construction of the roof part adopts the design concept of passive house design to ensure that a comfortable indoor environment is provided under the conditions of low energy consumption, and to advocate the awareness of sustainable development and environmental protection. In addition, in order to meet the requirements of affordable and self-built, we have adopted low-cost, low-tech and easy-to-learn construction techniques. Considering that the temperature of Baghere in May can reach 43 degrees and the humidity is as high as 90%, how to effectively discharge the heat trapped in the building and reduce the impact and influence of humidity on the comfort is an urgent problem to be solved. At the early stage of the design, we realized that if we want to use natural ventilation effectively, we need a larger opening area, and it is best to ensure sufficient lateral ventilation in the path of natural wind (that is, on the east and west sides), especially to make full use of the part projected by shading onto the wall. In addition, when there is no wind, the ceiling fan installed on the roof can assist in cooling down the indoor temperature of the room. Trade winds blowing from west to east is skillfully used in this design. Because a part of the space is reserved at the top of the external wall and the metal roof, which is conducive to the air circulation in the roof space and forms a “stack effect”. It ensures that the whole building has excellent natural ventilation performance. While providing high comfort, it can keep the indoor temperature similar to that of the roof surface to prevent condensation.

Illustration Diagram of ‘Stack Effect’ 54

3.3 Construction Details 3.33 Roof

Regarding the material of the roof, we selected corrugated galvanised iron. Although it is called iron, it is actually made of steel to improve strength and corrosion resistance. At the same time, the corrugated structure greatly increases the bending strength of the sheet in the vertical direction. As a prefabricated building material, corrugated galvanised iron simplifies the construction process and improves the simplicity and feasibility of self-construction. Another reason for choosing it is that corrugated galvanised iron is widely used locally, and combined with its advantages of light weight and convenient transportation, it can effectively reduce the construction cost of the roof part. Moreover, the scheme has high flexibility to facilitate later transformation, for example, it can provide convenience and sufficient structural stability for installing solar panels on the roof in the future. Thanks to Paul Haar’s related research, we have ruled out the idea of placing vegetative matter such as palm or grass on the roof. As we know, the grass roof can effectively reduce the heat gain compared with the metal roof, thereby obtaining a lower surface temperature. However, this approach is not recognized by the local community. Because the tropical climate where Baghere is located breeds a large number of snakes, mice and other creatures, the grass roof naturally becomes their ideal habitat, so the metal roof has become a safer and more worry-free choice. However, in order to reduce the downward long wave thermal radiation or emittance as much as possible, we added a laminated high-reflection film on the bottom of the roof sheet to obtain a higher solar reflectivity. Moreover, we consider painting the part exposed to the sun into a light colour to increase the corrosion resistance while also obtaining better thermal performance in order to increase the indoor thermal comfort. In addition, metal roofs have many other advantages. From the perspective of rainwater collection, the metal sheet roof can obtain and collect rainwater more efficiently, thereby providing more reliable guarantee for domestic water. Compared with decayed grass roofs, metal roofs are not prone to aging, and can have better durability and anti-fouling ability, which greatly simplifies later maintenance costs.

3.3 Construction Details 3.33 Roof

What’s more, after studying the local vernacular buildings with a long history, we learned how to use natural materials to make the shading part of the house to keep the sun’s heat away from the building. Therefore, we will also use woven bamboo panel as a material for shielding and privacy protection, decorating the vent and window awning in the horizontal direction of the roof, and forming shadows for shading while ensuring natural lighting and ventilation. At the same time, we will use the extended part of the roof sheet as shading, so that while ensuring ventilation and natural lighting in the morning and dusk, it can effectively resist the direct sunlight at noon, and play a vital role in indoor passive cooling. The ventilation and heat insulation performance of the ceiling structure is the focus of our design scheme, because they can keep the air in the building cool and pleasant. Compared with traditional active cooling measures, this solution can effectively control the energy cost during the operation of the building and reduce the carbon footprint of the building in the entire life cycle. It can also promote an environmentally friendly and low-carbon lifestyle.

Bamboo Panel

3.4 Construction Process

3.41 Distribution of Labour during Construction

With regard to the distribution of work during construction, we plan to divide it by gender. Men mainly undertake some high-intensity manual labour, such as collecting materials, excavating foundations, raising walls and building the main structure of the roof. Women are responsible for some low-intensity but more delicate auxiliary tasks, such as simple processing and transportation of building materials, as well as mixing and plastering walls and floors.

3.4 Construction Process 3.42 Construction Process Diagram

1.First, we excavate 200 mm beneath the treated surface and compact the ground. Then, we will extend 50 mm along the outer perimeter of the external wall, lay sand blinding with a thickness of 50 mm and tamp down the soil with plate compactor. On top of this, damp proof membrane (DPM) will be placed. Finally, 150mm Concrete slab foundation will be poured. 2. Next, the timber stud wall framing will be connected with a steel plate and bolted on the concrete slab.

Timber Frame Post Base with Steel Plate

3. The timber roof truss will be lifted and hoisted in the designed position. And then, they will be fixed with purlins.

4. After installing the roof battens, the metal roof sheet that made of corrugated galvanised iron will be fixed on the top of them.

5. At last, the wattle and daub wall will be inlaid between the timber framework.

3.5 Detail Wall Section

Detail Wall Section

3.6 Gantt Chart of Construction Programme

3.7 Construction Cost

Calculation: Labour 01 Foreman 42K XOF (monthly salary) * 4 (months) = 168K XOF 02 Carpenter 66.4K XOF (monthly salary) * 1 (months) = 66.4K XOF 03 General labour 28.12K XOF (monthly salary) * 4 (months) = 112.48K XOF

Ceiling joist 10.38 * 8 + 14.68 * 2 = 112.4 m Rafter 10.38 * (1/cos5°) * 8 + 14.68 * (1/ cos5°) * 2 + 10.38 * tan5°*10 = 83.37+29.48+9.08 = 121.93 m Roof batten 30.5 * 10 = 305 m

Material Damp proof membrane (DPM) 2.23K XOF (per m2) * 0.7 (discount) = 1.56K XOF (per m2) Metal roof sheets (CGI) Area: 318 m2 * (1/cos 5°) = 319.27 m2 Quantities: 3.81kg/m2 * 319.27 m2 = 1.22 t 67

Conclusion

What this project wants to achieve is to protect the safety and rights of local women as much as possible in this women’s home. In this project, a weaving workshop was designed to teach local women how to rely on small handicraft to obtain a source of livelihood, and a piece of farmland for planting sisal reed was also designed in the site, which can further familiarize local women with the planting methods and harvesting methods of this crop. How to make these dried leaves for basket weaving. Another highlight of the project is that there is a rice planting field. This method allows local women to obtain a safe and healthy food source, and the excess grain can be sold as the development fund for the activity. Taking into account the issue of gender equality, in order to enable local women to have more time to participate in some safety knowledge lectures and technical learning courses, the project also designed a children’s center and nursing room to enable women to take better care of their child. This women’s house also designed a small workshop room and a dialogue. In the future, there will be regular lectures on women’s health knowledge, and there will be volunteers from all over the world who are committed to women’s equality to help local women achieve their goals of independence.

Reference

Pelmoine, T., & Mayor, A. (2020). Vernacular architecture in eastern senegal: Chaînes opératoires and technical choices. Journal of Material Culture, 25(3), 348-378. Preiser, W. F., White, E., & Rabinowitz, H. (2015). Post-Occupancy Evaluation (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Richard, F. G. (2013). Thinking through “vernacular cosmopolitanisms”: Historical archaeology in Senegal and the material contours of the African Atlantic. International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 17(1), 40-71. Wilkie, G. (2011). Building Your Own Home: A comprehensive guide for owner-builders. New Holland Publishers.