10/2021

The Guesthouse – building a shelter for volunteers in Uganda

How can a housing project for a non-governmental organisation in Uganda look like? Which local cultures and architectural traditions can be incorporated in the building’s concept? What design parameters and construction techniques have to be considered for erecting the building?

Petra Veljkovic, Flavius Tinco

Diploma in Architecture

E253-2 – Wohnbau und Entwerfen

Supervisor: Peter Fattinger

In the course of the project ‘The Guesthouse’ architectural challenges of a one-to-one design have been taken on for the diploma thesis of the master’s programme in architecture within a team of two. The goal was to design a housing project for a Christian non-governmental organisation in Buyaga Village, Uganda, to plan this in advance and to take over the execution of the planned building. Through the commitment of the organisation Hannah Christian Aid, an education and healthcare centre is being set up in the area. The project consists of a multi-part construction – smaller buildings with different functions. On one building plot there is a boarding school, a library, a canteen, school classes and a clinic. On the plot next to it are the living quarters for temporary helpers, the so-called Guesthouse. This building was planned in detail and executed on-site with the help of local workers and volunteers. They researched the architectural traditions and the cultural context as well as the materials and resources in the project area. This served as the basis of the concept and is reflected in the draft. Technical solutions for the prevailing climatic conditions were found and elaborated in detail. The process and the construction progress were documented and shown in the diploma thesis. Also, it is important to note that the project was financed by donations as well as crowdfunding, which was also organised and set up by the architects.

In the course of the project ‘The Guesthouse’ architectural challenges of a one-to-one design have been taken on for the diploma thesis of the master’s programme in architecture within a team of two. The goal was to design a housing project for a Christian non-governmental organisation in Buyaga Village, Uganda, to plan this in advance and to take over the execution of the planned building. Through the commitment of the organisation Hannah Christian Aid, an education and healthcare centre is being set up in the area. The project consists of a multi-part construction – smaller buildings with different functions. On one building plot there is a boarding school, a library, a canteen, school classes and a clinic. On the plot next to it are the living quarters for temporary helpers, the so-called Guesthouse. This building was planned in detail and executed on-site with the help of local workers and volunteers. They researched the architectural traditions and the cultural context as well as the materials and resources in the project area. This served as the basis of the concept and is reflected in the draft. Technical solutions for the prevailing climatic conditions were found and elaborated in detail. The process and the construction progress were documented and shown in the diploma thesis. Also, it is important to note that the project was financed by donations as well as crowdfunding, which was also organised and set up by the architects.

Diploma in Architecture

E253-2 – Wohnbau und Entwerfen

Supervisor: Peter Fattinger