JOREIJCK HOUSE

Type: International design Competition
Award: Finalist
Year: 2020
Site: Tanzania, East African
Client: Archstorming + Jorejick family
Physical model: Atelier PCA
Model Pictures: M. Tritto
Collaborator: E. Zetti

The Jorejick House in Tanzania will house a family of about 15 people with different ages and needs.
The spontaneous arrangement of the volumes and the proximity to specific areas of preference recognizable within the current configuration on site clearly show a planning instinct deeply linked to the basic needs of the family. The reading and recognition of some parameters inherent in the current organization of the camp were used for the composition of the plan and for the arrangement of the functions within the project: first of all the use of autonomous housing units close to each other. The system of independent volumes is organized around two patios, one for the living area and the other for the sleeping area.
The largest one is is the real common space of the house, the space of the collective activities. Inside of it the precious banana tree under whose leaves, for a long time, the Jorejick gathered for cooking and eating together. On the contrary, around the smaller patio are the bedrooms, each equipped with a desk in order to give reading and study spaces to each individual member of the family. The spatial dynamics generated by the juxtaposition of independent volumes around the patios creates different areas of light and shadow and also different degrees of intimacy in the house.
The masonry is made entirely in raw earth bricks handcrafted thanks to the material and resources present on site. The technology but also all the furnishings in the house (from the catalog “Autoprogettazione” by Italian designer Enzo Mari) have been designed to perfectly adapt to the local know-how, paying particular attention to the optimal use of the very small budget available.
All the roof pitches have been designed to channel rainwater into two tanks of important capacity. In this way, the house offers an adequate solution to the problem of lack of water resource on site, which can be used for showers, bathrooms, kitchen and irrigation of the fields.