A competition entry for an affordable housing solution in a rural part of Ghana.
The “Woven” home is a building which is woven into the fabric of the location it is built in socially, economically, and culturally. The Form is inspired by Traditional Kente Cloth of Ghana and the way that it uses modules woven together to create a fabric which possess many different characteristics all combined seamlessly. The form allows the family to enjoy the garden, viewable from every part of the house, as well as the large open space which the the floor plan offers. Very simple, centralized linear circulation is on one axis in the center of the home with doors into all of the private spaces in the house. All private spaces face southeast to allow the light of the morning in through the window. The well lit house is very welcoming for guests and very open for expansion. The modular form allows for future repetition to create new spaces and forms. Ultimately, the home will become a piece woven into the fabric of the life of the family inside.
The house is divided in bars. The north-south bar is all of the communal space (kitchen, living room, dining room) and is adjacent to the patio for grilling, the main cooking method in the region. The east-west axis intersects this bar and is loaded with rooms for a father and mother and two children, the typical family in the region. The home is built with thick CMU walls to store thermal energy but has a north facing glazed wall to let light into the space.