BC architects Muyinga community library, Burundi

From theory to practice: 5 years after their first, theoretical project in Africa involving participatory design, the architects of Belgian studio BC architects completed construction of the first library in Muyinga, Burundi, with the active involvement of the local population.

The project is based on thorough study of the local architecture, construction technologies and materials, which determined the structure of the building.
One example is the arcade, a long corridor running the full length of the building and organising its layout.
This is an element that recurs frequently in African architecture and is very important for social life: an open place which is however sheltered against heavy rain and strong sun, a place where the community can meet to rest and to chat. The arcade plays the same role in BC architects’ project, becoming the architectural element linking the library with a school for deaf children that will be built next to it in the future.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Design: BC architects
Location: Muyinga, Burundi
Images courtesy of BC architects

http://www.bc-as.org/

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