Baghere Village | Senegal
Women’s House ‘The Baobab’
A courtyard-centred proposal using the baobab as a spatial and cultural reference for gathering, discussion and protection.
Client | Kaira Looro
Budget | €15,000
Status | Competition entry
RIBA Stages 0-2
Area | 200 sqm
Use | Education and culture
Team | Piotr Smiechowicz, Luke Murray and Yianna Moustaka
Scope | Concept and experience design
CONTEXT
The project proposes a setting for debate and discussion around gender and equality in Baghere, Senegal. It draws on the baobab’s role as a shaded place of community gathering, establishing a familiar cultural reference for the new Women’s House.
ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSE
A central courtyard is arranged for discussion in the round. Twelve habitable columns form a structural and spatial enclosure around the primary internal space, drawing on research into ancient baobab trees. Their rhythm and weight give the gathering place a sense of protection. Clerestory openings admit ventilation and indirect light while shielding the interior from direct sun and windblown sand.
