DASUDA

Alliance for Sustainable Urban Development in Africa

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National Teacher Colleges awarded Architizer A+ Awards 2022

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National Teacher Colleges awarded Architizer A+ Awards 2022

BKVV Architects, lead partner of DASUDA, in cooperation with Oubuntu Consulting, has been honoured with the public award in the category ‘Architecture for Good’ for their National Teachers Colleges (NTC) project in Uganda. The project involves a significant campus renovation and construction of new facilities at two education locations near the towns of Kaliro and Mubende.

The A+ Awards recognizes extraordinary work of the world’s best firms, highlighting the work of pioneering architects and designers that strives to create architecture that will stand the test of time. The ‘Architecture + for Good’ category celebrates projects and architects that address societal challenges in collaboration with communities.

The NTC encompasses 24 renovated and 8 new buildings, providing education to approx. 2000 students, housing for students and teachers, classrooms, energy-efficient kitchens, sports facilities, sustainable energy facilities, waste recycling and food production. The design process began in 2019, and construction has recently been completed. Notably, the NTC project is acknowledges as climate-responsive design best practice in Uganda.

The NTC encompasses indoor and outdoor spaces, incorporating indigenous artisan technologies and prioritizes green spaces, biodiversity preservation and water protection. It uses locally available material such as bamboo and earth bricks which encourages community participation. The architecture emphasizes natural lighting, ventilation, and passive cooling, resulting in thermally comfortable spaces with reduced energy consumption. Furthermore, the project demonstrates cost-effective maintenance, reduction in project costs and shorter implementation period. Remarkably, the buildings maintain a cool interior temperature without the need of air conditioning. DASUDA is immensely proud and honoured to have received this award.

More information

– National Teachers College, Mubende

– Architizer

–BKVV architects

– Oubuntu Consulting

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DASUDA will present Msimbazi project at IFLA conference

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DASUDA will present Msimbazi project at IFLA conference

VE-R, lead partner of DASUDA, is invited to facilitate a Round Table / Workshop at the IFLA World Congress 2023 to be held September 28-29, 2023. The focus of this engaging workshop will be River and City Park Design in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We will take this invaluable opportunity to share and exchange knowledge on the Lower Msimbazi Upgrading Plan (LMUP) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. By participating in the IFLA World Congress 2023, VE-R and DASUDA are excited to contribute to the global dialogue on sustainable urban development and foster collaboration towards realizing better African cities.

The IFLA World Congress is organized by the International Federation of Landscape Architects, attracting global professionals who want to participate in creating a sustainable built environment. The 2023 edition of the IFLA World Congress will take place in both Sweden and Kenya. The workshop on LMUP will take place in Nairobi, Kenya.

The selection of LMUP for the workshop is a testament to its relevance to the conference theme “Emergent Interaction”. This theme aims to explore ‘emerging forms of collective problem solving, networks of ideas and borderless strategies in order to find new solutions to the urgent issues of climate change, social inequality and biodiversity’.* LMUP address these critical issues while showcasing contextual relationship, innovation, sustainability, originality and quality of spatial design.

It also relates to all three subthemes of the IFLA conference by 1) stakeholder involvement on all levels, realized through a ‘Charette process’ 2) a site-specific approach, while also considering global effects of climate change and international best practices, and 3) an integrated approach through joint efforts of a multi-cultural (Dutch and Tanzanian) and -disciplinary team.

Josje Hoefsloot, representative from DASUDA and VE-R, will be presenting the LMUP project during the conference. Her presentation will emphasize the project’s achievements so far in public space design, flood resiliency, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) networks, and biodiversity. Long term collaboration with CDR International, also lead partner of DASUDA, has led to a very special project. We would like to warmly invite all our friends and partners who will be present in Nairobi during this period to join us in this discussion. For further details, kindly reach out to Josje, on this matter.  

More information

Lower Msimbazi Upgrading Plan

VE-R landscape architecture and urbanism

josje@ve-r.nl

– IFLA Congress 2023IFLA 2023 – IFLA2023

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National Teachers College, Mubende

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National Teachers College, Mubende

National Teachers College, Mubende

Location: Mubende, Uganda
Project type: Renovation and expansion of school campus
Year: 2018-2022
Client: Ministry of Education and Sport, Enabel
Consortium partners: BKVV, Ubuntu, VE-R

Award: ‘Popular Choice Winner’ Architizer A+ Awards 2022

The education campuses in the Ugandan towns of Kaliro and Mubende have undergone major renovation and expansion with the addition of about eight new buildings. Both campus projects are part of a national programme to improve education in Uganda by training a new generation of teachers. Besides educational facilities, also good and healthy housing, leisure activities, nutritious food and natural hygiene are part of this ambition. Offering students and teachers this broad perspective, inside and outside the classroom, creates a culture with natural engagement and balance with the living environment. Besides utilizing facilities, the project is based on a vision of ‘living the example’. The careful integration of the new buildings and the simple but well-thought-out manner of construction gives space to students and teachers and depicts the idea well of the national education programme for Uganda.

This sustainable, holistic vision was the starting point for the renovation and new construction at both locations. Existing trees and planting, working routes and rituals were integrated into the master plan for both. Wherever possible, we made existing qualities visible and strengthened them. Our guiding principles were the old cultural and physical characteristics of the site and current uses, combined with adding the most logical interventations.

The Mubende site for the teachers college was already strongly organized by the central lane. By further enhancing this to become the spine of all activity and connector of the existing renovated buildings and the new ones, the development uses the green quality of the site to its best. The buildings, existing and new, are all naturally ventilated and cooled. Precisely oriented ‘zigzag’ facades minimise the incidence of direct sunlight and heat. Wherever possible, the buildings have been constructed with the help of local craftsmen from local materials such as earth bricks and bamboo. At the Mubende site the new Resource Centre is the most outspoken building with indoor study facilities, transitional spaces under the large roof and it forms the backdrop of the central field in front as outdoor space.

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Coastal Vulnerability & Protection for Monrovia

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Coastal Vulnerability & Protection for Monrovia Metropolitan Area

Coastal Vulnerability & Protection for Monrovia Metropolitan Area

Location: Monrovia, Liberia
Project type: Vulnerability analysis, Feasibility study and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
Year: 2018-2019
Client: UNDP
Consortium partners: CDR international, IHE Delft, Earthtime Liberia, Dryfeet, Shore Monitoring & Research

Coastal communities and infrastructure in Monrovia are vulnerable to climate change induced coastal hazards. Up to 2018 over 670 households are reported to have been displaced due to coastal retreat, which is the main coastal hazard causing impact. This project encompassed a detailed Vulnerability Analysis, Feasibility Study and ESAR for Climate Resilient Strategies, including adaptive and protective measures for the coast Monrovia.

In the first phase, detailed numerical modelling of ocean conditions and coastal erosion for different climate change scenarios was done. Based on this, the most vulnerable communities were located, namely at Westpoint and New Kru town.

Together with the local stakeholders a Multi Criteria Workshop was done to evaluate several alternative coastal protection schemes. The results of the project has a twofold approach to addressing climate change, including:

  • Adaptive measures: measures to help minimise the drivers as well as the impacts of climate change and prepare awareness and capacities for implementation of the protective measures.

These exploit opportunities to safeguard currently sustainable livelihoods that are low consumers of carbon energy, and which consequently promise to give Liberia “green” living approaches for both the current and future generations. The project focuses on the inshore artisanal fishery of Monrovia, which contributes significantly to the city’s food security with very low carbon emissions.

  • Protective Measures: measures to help mitigate the impacts of climate change. These are mostly engineered interventions such as the construction of revetments, groynes and beaches to protect against rising sea level and the damaging effects of waves from higher-energy storm events. Some aspects are preventative, such as the development of alternative sand sources to stop mining of the natural beaches, and the promotion of measures to improve infrastructure resilience.

The synergy between both type of measures is of importance. The adaptive measures are important conditions for the effectiveness and sustainability of the protective measures, but they also provide synergies within the strategy. The intention is that both types of measures must go hand in hand with each other. 

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OTP OMUTIMA – Redevelopment of the Old Taxi Park

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OTP OMUTIMA – Redevelopment of the Old Taxi Park

OTP OMUTIMA – Redevelopment of the Old Taxi Park

Location: Kampala, Uganda
Project type:
Year: 2020-2023
Client: KCCA, Invest International (funder)
Consortium partners: VE-R, MOVE Mobility, Rebel group, BKVV, Movares Prome Consult

OTP has been the place of arrival for passengers coming to visit, trade, shop or sell at the numerous shops, market places and arcades around. The character of this place and the value attached to it, make clear the task to sustain OTP as the most important place in the Downtown area and to make a strong spatial and functional plan for the site. Central to the concept of this plan are the symbiotic character of main place of arrival, central public space and a bustling shopping and market area. Strengthening these functionalities will enhance the symbiosis of functions and make the heartbeat of Kampala even more powerful. Therefore, the concept of the Master Plan emanates this heartbeat. As it is named in Luganda: OTP Omutima Gwa’Kampala.

The master plan covers a larger area at Nakasero hill to Nakivubo valley including a drainage improvement in street infrastructure and water catchment capacity of the lowest valley area, to balance the densification of the urban tissue with a green and blue concept for the former railway lands in the valley.

To allow for the coexistence of different functions, OTP is envisioned as a layered complex. This conceptual gesture is further supported by the twelve meter topographical height difference between the two sides of the plot. The transportation hub is located at the top of a deck which at the same time serves as a roof of a multi-leveled shopping center.

From the three main components of the OTP Omutima plan, the first to mention is the public transport terminal. The terminal is central to a nearby network of mobility functions that include the city bus, BRT and coach station and the pedestrianized Luwum Street. Without the public transport facility and terminal, OTP would not be the Omutima, but the reverse is also true: the commercial functions make OTP a very popular destination for many.

That forms the second component of the Masterplan: By adding a shopping mall to the large array of shopping and commercial activities in the city centre, OTP also enhances its attraction as key node to enter the city centre. The complex can be further enhanced by the addition of three high-rises with flexible programme depending on the market opportunities at the moment of implementation.

Thridly, the OTP is a public transport hub not merely consisting of infrastructure, vehicles and buildings. It is first and foremost a place for people. The OTP Omutima embraces the concept of making room again for people: providing space where pedestrians are comfortable moving through, stopping to wait, to meet, or to connect to the core of the city.  Adjacent to the NMT corridor at Luwum Street, there is a comfortable space for people that offers accessibility and a meeting space that enhances social relations and exchanges.

A sound business case proofs the preliminary feasibility outcomes positive. Further in-depth development of the plan will target the development agreement with a master developer party to implement the layered complex and lift Old Taxi Park into a next century of place of arrival for many.

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Non Motorized Transport Corridor Pilot Kampala

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Non Motorized Transport Corridor Pilot Kampala

Non Motorized Transport Corridor Pilot Kampala

Location: Kampala, Uganda
Project type:
Year: 2010-2016
Client: KCCA, Directorate of Engineering and Technical Services
Consortium partners: MOVE Mobility, Goudappel Coffeng

Congestion, chaos and air pollution are at very high levels in the capital of Uganda. In collaboration with various organisations and the city authorities organisations have been working for several years to get the city centre traffic organised and resolve many of the problems in the process of overarching traffic management. An example is the Kampala City Centre Pilot Project, which introduces sustainable urban transport. UNEP (the United Nations Environment Program) has been part of the project team from the start. MOVE Mobility finished the detailed design and KCCA implemented the NMT pilot project at Luwum Street and Namirembe Road in downtown CBD of Kampala.

Kampala City Centre Pilot Project

The Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) pilot route was developed during this stage for Luwum Street and Namirembe Road, the extension Speke Road – Shimoni Road was designed later. MOVE Mobility worked from ‘big to small’. First, the networks for cycling and cars on a city level were studied (and designed) and then the work focused on the Central Business District and the two streets that could transform from being part of the car network to become for pedestrians and cyclist only. Once the (future) functions of the roads were clear, the design integrated:

  • Car accessibility
  • Cycling and walking infrastructure
  • Public transport; BRT lines
  • Quality of urban space
  • The green structure

The NMT pilot for Luwum Street and Namirembe Road has been executed and in full operation since 2022. The city changed by making these central streets in downtown CBD pedestrianized and a more comfortable place to stay and enjoy in the heart of the most busy commercial area is now offered. Extension of the NMT network and further boosting of the cycle as transport mode is in process at the municipal offices.

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