• Benga Riverside Residential Community / Kere Architecture

Architects: Kere Architecture  
Location: Tete,  Mozambique
Project Team: Francis Diebedo Kere
Interior Décor: Kere Architecture
Project Year: 2015
Photographer: Kere Architecture
Website: www.kerearchitecture.com

Our favorite Burkinabe architect of the German based architectural office Kere Architecture comes to us yet with another of a sustainable environment within the continent. This is a project that oozes the picturesque spirit of a rural environment, in a move aimed at "fostering an atmosphere of economic housing within the Mozambican community of Tete.

Located on the picturesque banks of the Revuboe and Zambezi Rivers, the aim of the Benga Riverside Residential Community is to introduce a new neighborhood typology for the growing community of Tete, Mozambique. As various industries continue to invest in the region, there is a growing demand for quality and economic housing solutions for migrant and local families alike.

The Benga Riverside Community will pioneer a new method of planning and building for the residential sector in the area, fostering an atmosphere of social inclusion among residents of diverse cultural backgrounds. Educational, civic, and recreational needs will be supported by a variety of mixed-use public and private functions, including a primary school, sporting facilities, restaurant, commercial storefronts for local businesses, public square, resident’s clubhouse, and up to 100 housing units.

Home to a wide range of wildlife and vegetation, Benga Riverside will celebrate the heritage of its site by preserving elements such as old-growth Baobab trees, shrubs, and native grasses which will also help to shade and protect the area from dusty winds. To further establish this new architectural identity, the built interventions will utilize local rock, wood, clay, and will be developed as a high-quality, low maintenance modular system. Private courtyard space, scenic landscape views, passive ventilation, and grey water management will also contribute to provide the best sustainable, economic, and long-term housing solution for future residents.

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