Dandaji is
a Hausa village in arid western Niger with a very young population of 3000, low
literacy rates, and high economic vulnerability. The local middle school serves
children from 5 surrounding villages with plans for a high school underway. The
new library will be impactful by providing books, a computer lab and quiet
study spaces to improve reading and vocabulary skills for the community and to,
increase graduation rates. By involving women groups in the project, additional
spaces for literacy, accounting courses, and workshops were added. As a mosque,
women never used the current building, preferring to pray at home. The library
and its proximity to the new mosque will engage them and the youth positively
with these religious spaces as productive members of the community.

To renovate the old building to its
previous glory, the original masons are invited to join the project’s team. In
the process, they learn about adobe-enhancing additives and erosion protection
techniques. Instead of the region’s traditional but scarce wood, the interior
renovation uses metal for study spaces, partitions, stairs and a mezzanine
level, as a contemporary touch to a traditional space. The new building in turn
re-interprets traditional Hausa mosque organization with contemporary structural
support and detailing. Its two blocs and outdoor prayer space are suited to
daily prayers, Friday assemblies, or large Eid celebrations. The dialog between
the formal structures of the old and new leads to further collaboration between
the traditional masons and the construction crew.

The project introduces Compressed Earth Bricks (CEB)
made with laterite soil found on site; a new material in the area with the
advantage of being lower maintenance than adobe, with similar thermal benefits.
Most of the project materials are sourced from less than a 5km radius distance
to the site, while the use of concrete is limited to structural elements such
as columns and lintels. The thermal mass of the CEBs and natural ventilation
keep indoor temperatures comfortable and remove the need for mechanical
cooling. The effect is amplified with extensive planting throughout the site,
using a drip irrigation system to help the vegetation thrive. The system
dramatically lowers water consumption and will use an underground water
reservoir that captures the rainy season downpours.