2007 Economic Development Award Laureate
Association la Voute Nubienne
| Laureate Country: Ganges, France |
| Project Countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal |
| Website: www.lavoutenubienne.org |
| Video: 2007Videos/association_la_voute_n.mov |
In sub-Saharan Africa, deforestation and overpopulation make it impossible to use traditional methods for building homes. Without enough wood, people are forced to use poor quality, imported, expensive materials that drain a family’s resources.
The Association improved upon an age-old Nubian building technique, creating woodless vault architecture. Their standardized construction process is easy to teach to local entrepreneurs, generating businesses and jobs. The resulting houses are sturdy and better insulated, and people can save up to 90% of the cost by doing the work themselves. The earthen bricks that make the houses better can be extracted and processed locally, further developing a sustainable local economy.
