Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The idea of bringing computer access to people in the developing world is bigger than one site in Kenya, though this one site is as important as all the rest. The CORE project is one that provides a simple, standard, and inexpensive system for bringing computers to people all over the developing world. The CORE:SIDAREC project shows how this system is applied specifically to this site.

The biggest issue that arises from introducing valuable and fragile technology into developing parts of the world is control. The technology must be secure from theft and protected from environmental elements. By creating a small and controlled CORE to house the valuable and fragile equipment, the amount of uncontrolled and free space on the site is maximized.

The CORE is constructed of reinforced concrete masonry units with available materials supporting the roof. The SIDAREC project employs open web steel joists. The rest of the buildings will be site specifically designed. In this project, the building walls will be gabion walls. Gabion baskets are cheap and can be filled with discarded stone from local quarries for cheap. These walls can easily be disassembled and moved in the future if needed. Gabion walls also have many interesting levels of permeability including light, air, and sound. They can also be easily built by people in the community, giving them ownership and making the project rely on the people.

The computers in the CORE project onto screens which can be used by multiple people at once. This allows for maximum flexibility. It also allows teachers to project work in front of a whole class, and to look at all of the work at once. There are screens on the front façade to show what is happening inside, draw people to the site, and aid with performances on the amphitheater. The radio station is at the front of the site to connect to the street and the people of the community. The site is designed to draw people into the courtyard, to mix and mingle.

PV panels will be used to generate power. Batteries are stored in the CORE. Rainwater is harvested on the roofs and freely stored in sisterns which are available for anyone on the site to draw water from.

The CORE project brings computers to people. The CORE:SIDAREC project brings a community learning center to Nairobi. These ideas are a starting point. They are the beginning to an adaptable project for the people of the community to make their own.