Designed and built in a modular way, the village allows for ease of construction and eventual growth into larger communities. The Happy Childhood Village in Tanzania, will offer housing, a school, a preschool, a social center, a maternity center, a rehabilitation center, a gym, a track/football field, a chapel and workshops to teach Tanzanians new trades and revive traditional ones to generate a microeconomy that can offer a way towards self sustenance.
The driving thought throughout the process was to create a place—a home that anyone of us would want to live in. In most design challenges of this nature, the design takes a back seat to function, and its resulting sterile and institutionalized architecture leaves the children to enjoy nothing more than a roof over their heads as a token of the immense generous gesture we use to stroke our ego.
An imaginative, less timid approach would ensure that the enchantment of childhood was amplified, and remains a positive and potent memory for the individual to carry through life. It is my belief that, if the environment does not challenge children sensually, then they inevitably absorb the view that it is of little or no consequence. We weighed mechanistic modernism against organic spirituality and opted for a softly curving architecture that not only speaks of the native round hut design, but that also welcomes and encourages movement and exploration in and around the village, while providing a vivid yet calming language. Rising from the land, the architecture embraces the past and present through its simple yet evocative language and natural palette of materials; the most important one being natural light.
Inspired by the local tribal architecture, art and artisans, the design also draws inspiration from the spectacular site—its proximity to Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro and the fair weather that it enjoys. As such, great attention was given to natural ventilation and natural lighting (known to promote good mental health) as well as a number of sustainable solutions for water, power, and sanitation. The modular architecture also allows for the individualizing of separate buildings to create diversity. In the case of the residences for vulnerable children, a point of reference is defined through different façade colors.
The main architectural and structural elements are fabricated off-site and consist of insulated prefabricated panels that make up an inner shell, with a horizontal louver system (made of a wood pattern resin fiberboard) as a secondary outer shell used for natural ventilation. An operable skylight connecting the shells, is also used for ventilation and lighting. All window frames consist of clear anodized aluminum for durability and all glass is double glazed and insulated. All concrete work will be done on site and consist of foundation work and a white architectural finish for all lower level sections as well as the earth sheltered workshops. Wood grain porcelain tile will be used on terraces to eliminate the use of natural wood and its resulting maintenance.
The challenge in Tanzania and other impoverished countries around the globe is to bring the needs of vulnerable children and projects like this one to the forefront of priorities, to have their voices heard amidst the overwhelming other needs and the needs of so many others, the lack of resources, and above all, the lack of empathy and concern by most of us.
On this brief journey that ties us together, all I can do is offer my commitment to share my humanity as a finite fellow traveler where it is needed most, where what we take for granted remains for many an unattainable dream. One smile at a time. Let the wrinkles around our eyes, as we grow older, be a testament not of the years, but of the scars left behind by the infinite smiles we have shared with others. We express our immense gratitude to the Vatican and the Archdiocese of Arusha for donating the land and to the wonderful Masaii people without whose generosity and blessing, enriching traditions and culture allowed us to find great inspiration for the Village and its Architecture
Read more at: http://forahappychildhood.org
