Elements House

This home is designed for a large extended family of 14 living in rural northeastern Tanzania looking to build a home for less than € 20,0000.  The home is designed for spaces to seamlessly lure elements of nature throughout in a strategic way that provides comfort and utility.

Earth is used in a visually apparent manner.  The base exterior walls are constructed of Rammed Earth which uses soil on site to create the required mix, so colors closely resemble the adjacent topography.  Walls taper up to appear heavier, more rigidly attached to the ground and clearly separated from the upper ceiling and roof area.  The roof continues overhead spanning much further out than the base with a visually lighter thatched ceiling draped from inside to out to create an ambiguity between the two spaces.

Air is drawn throughout the home and is amplified by use of two Wind Towers that are 8 meters tall.  Wind that is more powerful at 8 meters passes over the top opening of the tower creating negative pressure suction within its shaft that magnifies cross ventilation below, drawing it through a louvered opening at the base of the tower.  A series of operable panels are provided throughout the home between the base wall and the ceiling.  This allow cross ventilation on demand at the highest point in each room, flushing out the warm air in each space as it rises, thus cooling the space(s). 

Water is collected in an ongoing manner that maximizes rainfall.  Water is collected on a 400 square meter metal roof surface, via a gutter, and directed into a large cavity within a thick rammed earth wall.  The cavity can store up to 40 cubic meters of water.  The Water Harvesting Wall provides both a thermal mass for regulating temperatures within the home and a near endless supply of water on demand for use throughout the home and for irrigating nearby crops.

Fire is available in the Outside Kitchen which is formalized as part of the home under the roof, but outside the exterior enclosure.  Two horizontal wind turbines are located on top of the Wind Tower providing electricity as needed for additional cooking and radiant heat inside. 

Space is conceived in a manner that allows the interior to flexibly open with multiple points of entry that are adaptable.  The line between inside and outside is blurred on demand, dynamically as required by the family.