[New Project] HABIMO: Towards bioclimatic and modular housing of compressed earth blocks in Burkina

HABIMO project aims to improve the overall housing construction quality in Burkina Faso (from the brick to the entire building). The project objectives include working on the missing links and reinforcing the socio-economic ecosystem necessary to launch the earth construction sector. Indeed, the socio-anthropological analysis has shown that the resistance linked to the Compressed Earth Brick (BTC) use in Ouagadougou is explained in particular by the failure of the public policies to promote and support earth construction. We analyzed the lessons learned from the LOCOMAT project. LOCOMAT is a Burkina Faso government project from 1991 to 2011. The LOCOMAT project promoted local building materials, i.e., earth-based materials and traditional architecture of Burkina Faso. The project succeeded but failed to scale up, resulting in the dominance of imported materials like cement and cinder blocks.

Therefore, HABIMO aims to put earth construction back at the service of the entire population, in particular middle-income households, in collaboration with the public authorities, by developing the technical skills of EES Sud partners and by providing scientific support to the setting up of the economic sector by actors in the field through ICHEC and the Center for Social Economy of ULiège from the North; and Thomas Sankara University, the NGO Autre Terre and La Fabrique (social enterprise incubator) from the South.

From the 9th to the 12th of January 2023, the new HABIMO project team visited the capital Ouagadougou. The visit was part of a workshop to prepare for our new project on earth construction in Burkina Faso. We are aware that the population remains skeptical about the robustness and durability of earthen constructions. Also, in Burkina Faso, the term “local”, contrary to the term “imported”, often has a rather negative meaning. In Burkina Faso, most houses are built in concrete blocks with corrugated sheet metal roofs, which are aesthetic and thermal absurd. Therefore, we are looking forward to providing exemplary and high-quality CEB housing archetypes and engaging the community to seek their social acceptance. This new project is a follow-up to a previous project led by prof. Luc Courard from Liege University.

Thank you Adamah Messan for hosting us and Luc Courard for initiating and planning the project with all stakeholders including Catherine Dal Fior, Bernard Van den Abeele, Virginie Xhauflair, Césaire HEMA, and Philbert Nshimiyimana.

Follow our coming project development info news from 2iE and ULiege.

Subscribe to my mailing list: www.shadyattia.org

Look at ☑️ recent posts and activities. https://lnkd.in/eR-jiXtR

#Earthenbricks; #Compressedearthblocks; #thermalcomfort ;#architecture #2iE; #ULiege; #socialacceptance; #qualityarchitecture