project year: 2017

 location: Tanaf, Casamance, Senegal

designer team: CAPers group

competition: Kairalooro Sacred architecture

frustum, pl. frusta, frustums

mathematics - the part of a solid shape such as a cone that is between the base of the shape and a parallel plane through the shape.

 The concept is inspired by Trullo housing, a vernacular architecture in Southern of Italy, renowned for its simple method of construction and its climatic behavior in hot-air climate. The dwelling presents a conic roof supported by a large platform which stabilizes the structure and improves  thermal insulation. The dry stone walls are made with the local stone and manual labour.

 Frusta project has been designed starting from works and materials experimentation of Fabricio Pedroza, a Brazilian architect, who has designed many projects based on Trullo’s concept with different purposes in Dakar in the late 1970’s.

 In Frusta project, all units, developed to the squared plans, follow a regular scheme creating a sequence of spaces, empty and full, patios, modular volumes and flexibility of uses. All volumes are connected by three corridors, that also represent gates to the main patio designed as collective gathering space. On one patio’s side an educational area hosts a library and a classroom, on the other side general toilets are located in other branch. The prayer hall, connected to the patios, opens to the street through a big portal and represents the biggest area with a management room and a  tower calling prayer annexed.

Besides, rainwaters are drained with a cotto gutter system and collected in two underground cisterns. This fresh water reserve can be used through two wells by collectivity.

 The foundation reuses old tires bonded together and filled with pressed earth. The rammed earth walls are made with local earth and reinforced with palm wood. The square base vault are obtained with mud bricks (240x120x60mm) positioned in  smaller and smaller concentric squares to form a truncated-pyramid shape. At the top of each vault it’s opened a square oculus  letting sunlight to come in and creating light beams in interiors. The skylight  combined with the openings in the walls generate a natural ventilation. The window system is compodes by baobab wood as frame and mangrove wicker as shader.