Senegalese immigrants residing in Venice were unhappy that remittances to their families in Senegal were often used to build concrete houses; this project is a demonstration of traditional alternatives. The agricultural village of 450 residents lacks water-distribution and electricity, and this prototype comprises a community garden and eco-house with a meeting/training room, two workshops, two guest rooms, a large kitchen, and a shower and toilet. The house is organised around a demonstration system of rainwater harvesting, recycled waste-water, and the generation of self-sustainable electricity from solar roof panels; it is built from interlocking stabilised-earth blocks made from a manual press, and the earth came from excavation of the cistern. Shade and ventilation are provided by locally-woven bamboo panels.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture