Progressive House, Rwanda

Ben was invited by the charity organisation, Rwanda Action to visit Kamembe, a particularly poor district in the south west of Rwanda bordering the Congo. The region is still struggling to recover from the mass genocide in 1994. Large numbers of families continue to live in appalling conditions and the government is unable to provide suitable housing, capable of withstanding the environmental, social and economic circumstances.

Ben developed a new design that addressed these issues. By reconfiguring the structure, using local easily sourced materials but in a more efficient way than was currently adopted. The enhancement of the vernacular design remains familiar to the locals, but is more secure and durable. The house is cheap and easy to build and maintain and have transformed the lives of the families that now occupy them.

Ben and the progressive house were featured in an article in the telegraph, dated 6th October 2009.

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