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Star House/Ingvartsen Architects
- area:
4070 sqm
Year:
2024
-
Chief Architect:
Jakob Knudsen, Ingvartsen Architect
Text description provided by the architect. The Star Homes project has been in development for more than a decade, exploring ways to develop novel, low-cost, comfortable, pest-proof homes to improve the health of people in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The scheme consists of 110 identical single-family “star houses” spread across 60 different villages in the rural area of Mtwara, one of Tanzania’s less developed regions with high risk of malaria, respiratory The incidence of infection and diarrhea is high. The homes form the basis of a trial designed to provide reliable data on whether improving housing can improve household health.
Both upgrading and vernacular housing styles in sub-Saharan Africa appear to predispose residents to vector-borne, enteric and respiratory diseases. Resource use and environmental performance – Unlike most rural housing in Tanzania, our prototype house is two stories high. This reduces the area of the foundation and roof, which are typically the most expensive and material-intensive components of a home. Our approach to optimizing resource use is a key concept in house design, reducing embodied energy and construction costs. The 0.75 mm thick prefabricated light steel (LGS) frame can be fabricated and installed in 3 days; The walls are solid but hollow and consist of two thin layers of cement rendered on a wire mesh; The house is passively cooled and includes solar lights, USB charger and rainwater collection. The home uses 70% less concrete and contains 37% less carbon than a typical concrete block design.
The prototype windows have no glass and are instead screened with sturdy mesh, which keeps indoor temperatures about 2.5 degrees cooler than similar local homes. Thick walls absorb heat during the day and radiate heat into the home at night, which prevents occupants from using mosquito nets, thereby increasing the risk of malaria transmission. Higher mosquito densities in ground-level bedrooms also increase the risk of vector-borne infections. Cooking is often done over open flames in poorly ventilated spaces, which can lead to respiratory health problems, especially in women and children. Surfaces are often made of compacted earth that is difficult to clean, which, combined with open latrines, inadequate water supplies and poor sanitation, leave households vulnerable to diarrhea and other intestinal infections.
The health consequences of building in this way are most severe in rural areas, such as Mtwara in southern Tanzania, where households have limited access to public health services. In June 2021, once all 110 Star Homes are completed and families move in and begin taking part in the trial, children under 13 sleeping in Star Homes and neighboring traditional homes will be followed for three years to discover whether Conditions: Malaria, acute respiratory infection and diarrhea. In addition to the trials, a team of architects, entomologists and social scientists will use a mixed methods approach including in-depth interviews, focus groups, house walk-throughs and questionnaire-based surveys to assess the performance and acceptability of the house designs. Light traps were used to collect mosquitoes and flies in Star and Control homes to assess the number of malaria-carrying mosquitoes entering the homes.
Capacity Building and Sustainable Communities – The Star Homes program aims to build capacity in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities by providing sturdy and affordable housing and teaching new construction skills. The total construction cost of the house and toilets ranges from $6,000 to $8,000 and can be built in four weeks. Power and water are provided to the occupants for the life of the home, which is expected to be 30 years, with no operating or maintenance costs. This frees up time and resources (otherwise spent on activities such as rebuilding homes, dealing with preventable diseases, or collecting water) that can be used to strengthen rural communities and lift families out of poverty in the long term. All parts and labor were sourced from within Tanzania, establishing local construction capabilities.
Designed by an interdisciplinary team of architects, public health experts and entomologists, Star House combines into one house a series of design interventions aimed at improving family health. We undertake a detailed process to select recipients and locations for Star Homes. In 2019, before construction began, the countryside in Mtwara was surveyed. Families who want to participate and meet study inclusion criteria (such as having children under 13 years old in the household) can enter a drawing to win a star home built on their land. This draw will be conducted in an open and transparent manner to select the winners. The study is expected to be completed in 2024.
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