Panafrican Institute for Development

From the early 1970s, it became clear that the African continent would be unable to resolve its development problems by simply adopting Western models. It was necessary to invent new models that would be better adapted to local resources and conditions. In 1978, the Panafrican Institute for Development commissioned the Association pour le development d’une architecture et d’un urbanisme africains (ADAUA) to design and build the future campus of the Panafrican Institute for Development in the Sahel, at Ougadougou. This project was entirely realized in stabilized earth brick. It aimed to demonstrate the creative potential for materials and their appropriateness to the social and cultural context as well as to the climate of the Sahel region. Desde principios de la década de 1970, quedó claro que el continente africano sería incapaz de resolver sus problemas de desarrollo simplemente adoptando modelos occidentales. Era necesario inventar nuevos modelos que se adaptaran mejor a los recursos y condiciones locales. En 1978, el Instituto Panafricano para el Desarrollo encargó a la Association pour le development d’une architecture et d’un urbanisme africains (ADAUA) que proyectara y construyera el futuro campus del Instituto Panafricano para el Desarrollo en el Sahel, en Uagadugú. Este proyecto se realizó íntegramente en ladrillo de tierra estabilizada. Su objetivo era demostrar el potencial creativo de los materiales y su adecuación al contexto social y cultural, así como al clima de la región del Sahel. The objectives of this project were threefold: firstly, to design a viable type of construction using local materials; secondly, to make maximum use of local resources, both in material and labour, thereby reducing costs and foreign imports; and finally, by choosing to use traditional building techniques which require intensive labour, to create many jobs, and train mason and brick-makers.