Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The design concept for the Africa Challenge evolves from initially accepting the industrial character and nature of the surrounding fabric. While the overall design concept addresses the industrial nature of the surrounding buildings and community fabric, it equally attempts to energize and instill artistic vision to the dreary essence of the basic industrial building design. The design parti for the site in Nairobi accepts and exploits the strict modularity of the shipping container’s dimensions creating a linear, elemental building structure that is orientated along the north wall of the site. The situation of these buildings in a linear fashion along the northern edge of the site was created to provide a long, inviting, outdoor circulation spine that would allow for the public and semi-public structures to take advantage of cross ventilation through the buildings. Additionally, the implementation of the community center buildings along the northern edge of the site allows for individuals within the buildings to overlook public games and activities within the site, as well as invite surrounding community members to come into SIDAREC by not shielding or restricting the public spaces from the surrounding community. The re-use and re-engineering (Value-Cycling) of shipping containers was chosen exclusively for the material and structure of the SIDAREC community center because of the individual container’s affordability, structural integrity, and rapid construction. Additionally, the choice to use discarded/unwanted transcontinental shipping containers as the basis for the design of the community center and adjacent building functions was because these community center structures could be manufactured off-site where labor and materials are cheapest and transported to the SIDAREC site in Nairobi, Kenya with minimal on-site construction or modification. The material palette that is used for the community center structures are CorTen Steel (Shipping Containers), Wood, Steel, Plastic, Gypsum Wallboard, Glass, and Concrete.