Low-Carbon, Affordable and Resilient Housing for East Africa

Institutions: 
Princeton University, USA

Primary Investigators: Sigrid Adriaenssens, sadriaen@princeton.edu

The population of East Africa is expected to grow from about 513 million in 2025 to 840 million by 2050, increasing the demand for affordable, resilient housing. Traditional construction materials like cement and steel for construction produce over ~11% of global energy and process-CO2 emission. This climate change driver combined with the carbon footprint of importing and transporting these materials highlights the need for affordable resilient housing solutions built from local and sustainable materials. Our research goal is to codevelop and validate structurally resilient, affordable housing systems that utilize locally available materials and innovative form-finding design methods to withstand seismic events, while addressing the urgent needs of communities facing rapid urbanization and climate change impacts across diverse East African contexts. We will use design and engineering to elevate local materials to mitigate the stigma associated with their low cost, while leveraging traditional craft toward new tectonic assemblies. The project will create adaptable construction methodologies and assembly techniques that can be transferred and scaled regionally.