The thesis project AWASH 500 exemplifies the practice-based and interdisciplinary teaching approach at ECL-AA. The aim of this real-world project was to develop 500 new housing units for the company "africa JUICE TSC" and its resident workers in the Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia. Existing dilapidated housing units had to be replaced and the infrastructure for the entire site redesigned. The construction was to be completed on a small budget and within three years.

At the beginning of the planning phase, a comprehensive inventory was carried out on site. The students conducted a survey, interviews, panel discussions and participatory workshops. They documented the housing stock and social conditions as well as environmental conditions and available infrastructure. First, the team developed an appropriate and the environmentally friendly water and wastewater management system, e.g. using urine diverting dry toilets. In addition, a residential complex was designed that is easy to build and consists of locally available, natural building materials. The 600m² u-shaped building typology consists of eight apartments of different sizes and is covered by a pent roof. Each apartment has an extension area in the backyard and a multifunctional anteroom open to the courtyard. The inner courtyard is the heart of the residential complex and serves as a communal area.

In sum, the design team developed an integrated planning approach whose architectural and urban planning concept is based on an adequate water and sanitation supply as well as the capacity building aspects. Its realization on the compound of the Africa Juice company was due to start in 2016.

Students:

Laura Adler, Andreas Aicher, Luise Entrich, and Oliver Thomschke, 2015

Collaborating partners and advisors:

Prof. Dirk Donath, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Prof. Jörg Londong, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Asgedom Haile, EiABC, Piet Dissel, AEE engineering Addis Ababa, africa JUICE TSC