The Nubian compact, or how to build a house easily
A valid African response to real estate issues
THE NUDIAN COMPACT
The Nubian compact is a construction tool that allows you to create self-supporting vaults and domes without the need for ribs, plumb lines, levels or any other modern building equipment.
Originally from Nubia, now Sudan, the compact was first popularized in the 1940s by the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, considered to be the architect of the poor. Hassan Fathy discovered compact in the 1930s among old Nubian masons who were perpetuating the tradition. The architect Hassan Fathy trained several masons in the manufacture of mud bricks and the use of compacts to build domes and vaults. And these techniques have made it possible to house the inhabitants of the gourna, an Egyptian village, thanks to the possibility of constructing the walls and roofs of the buildings at the same time. This saves money and ensures the solidity of the buildings.
Arriving in Africa in the 1960s, Italian architect Fabrizio Carola, inspired by the work of Hassan Fathy, continued to use the compact technique, adapting it to construct buildings in the form of ogival domes. He met Hassan Fathy in Paris and later collaborated with ADAUA - Association pour le Développement d'une Architecture et d'un Urbanisme Africain - which introduced him to a building method and technique that opened up new horizons for him.
Architect Fabrizio Carola's philosophy was to adapt to his environment and the skills available. With earth and stone available in Mali, the compact presented itself as a very simple tool that helps even the most inexperienced masons to create arches and vaults without making mistakes, to create buildings that are functional and pleasant to live in.Here are two emblematic buildings designed by Fabrizio carola using the compact technique and local materials available on the project sites.
Kaédi Regional Hospital, Mauritania 1981/84 (Aga Khan Award 1995).
Bandiagara Traditional Medicine Center - Mali - 1987-1988. (Global Award sustainable)
The architect Hassan Fathy believed that the use of compact and locally available building materials such as earth and stone represented a valid African response to real estate issues. Deep down, that's what I think too, and what do you think? I'd be delighted to read your opinions on this subject.
AKWABA
My name is OMON ABULE SOWO. I'm an architect with a passion for African architecture.
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