CHILDREN´S HOUSE

Baghere, a small and rural village that lies at the heart of the Tanaff Valley, enclosed by the Balmadou forest and the Guinea Bissau, and within which a warm and hopeful symbol stands, the Children’s House.

The focus of the project is to prevent child malnutrition by providing health services and proper diets, educating children and families alike as well as to provide basic services to the surrounding area and its residents.

The architectural form is inspired by traditional senegalese homes and constructions, specifically the Tolou Keur. Three circles make up the program, which includes a health center, dormitories, recreation areas, administrative and storage areas, a planting site in which the children will learn about agriculture and the importance of caring for themselves through it, and dry composting toilets which will also help in the planting process.

The Children’s House, with laterite earth walls and bamboo frames, stands firmly while also blending into the context of the site. These walls and the geometries in use create an oasis in which the children of the valley can safely play, grow, learn and explore in a nurturing and natural environment.