The Chiwarà Project

Long description

Chiwarà is a start-up company that implements local, durable and sustainable construction solutions. As part of the program developed by the Association Voûte Nubienne (AVN), Chiwarà aims at triggering and developing a sustainable and low carbon construction market in Senegal by disseminating the Nubian Vault (NV) technique within the local formal sector. This technique is rooted in vernacular knowledge, adapted and standardised to allow large-scale delivery using local materials, basic tools and simple technical skills. The technique takes full advantage of local adobe bricks, which present many qualities of use for their beneficiaries while allowing the valorisation of the local archi-culture. The walls are thick and the flat roof is resistant to rain and wind. With easy maintenance, the construction can be handed down through generations and it is easily and affordably recyclable. NV buildings ensure thermal comfort, with indoor temperatures below 30 degrees and an energy class comparable to the US class B due to the use of thick clay walls, while current constructions go well beyond this point without additional cooling. In a complementary and collaborative partnership with AVN, the project aims at disseminating the NV technique through training activities targeting workers, technicians and entrepreneurs of the Senegalese formal construction sector, coupled with awareness raising on the benefits of the technique. This will trigger a process of large-scale dissemination of the technique, developing the local market thanks to the use of widely available construction materials.

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