OMT Architects, the designers of Fumba town in Zanzibar, are promoting the use of timber in a sustainable way to tackle the challenges resulting from demographic development in Africa. Their experience gained from previous projects in Zanzibar has resulted in the development of larger and more complex timber buildings that create equitable and sustainable housing solutions.
Promoting the Use of Timber for Affordable Housing
OMT Architects’ Founding Partner, Mr Leander Moons, recently spoke at a conference in the US and highlighted the potential of using timber to create more sustainable and equitable housing solutions in Africa. The Moyoni and Vizazi townhouses are examples of OMT’s goal to promote the use of timber within the affordable market. Furthermore, the CheiChei Living project, a multi-family four-storey apartment building complex, is the next step in OMT’s development, followed by the Burj Zanzibar as a hybrid-timber tower.
Mass Timber: A Sustainable Building Material
From a design and sustainability perspective, the use of solid wood offers numerous advantages for high-rise construction.. It is one of the most sustainable building materials available and its use can be optimized through careful planning. The combination of traditional and new timber systems is the most effective way forward to enable a more sustainable construction industry. OMT Architects recognizes that the demand for timber as a construction material needs to grow before challenges in the local timber value chain can be overcome. They aim to create more awareness of the potential for mass timber in construction and support local value chains to empower local communities and support local wealth creation while limiting transportation and importing impacts.
Transforming the Construction Industry into a Sustainable Sector
Architects and builders have a responsibility to transform the construction industry into a more sustainable sector. Building new houses sustainably, with the help of timber and mass timber, can contribute to the development of a more sustainable building industry, use locally available materials and provide opportunities for people in Africa and beyond. OMT Architects’ innovative approach to mass timber construction in Africa promotes a new era of construction.
