Motor Rd. Apartments, Freetown, Sierra Leone

A residential development that integrates Nature at the same time as it increases residential density.

The project is a residential development located in 85 Main Motor Rd. Freetown, Sierra Leone.

There were many concepts requested by the client which lead us to complex but at the same time straight-forward solution that fitted into a triangular and steep plot:  quality, durability, functionality, maintenance free, environmental conscience, sustainability, positive social impact, safe and peaceful environment and well rooted to capture of the essence of Freetown.

We propose a way of development that integrates Nature at the same time as increasing residential density. With this strategy African cities could grow without necessarily destroying its fundamental environment.

The result will be one building broken up into 4 pieces, adapted to the natural terrain, integrated into its surroundings and oriented towards the open views while surrounded by nature.

An important inspiration for this project were the board houses of Freetown.

Board Houses (known as bod ose in the local Krio language) are wooden structures built by freed Americans slaves that still stand to this day, some dating back to 1792, when the first freed slaves arrived in Freetown

They are a major part of Freetown history and heritage, a testament to the resilience of people who came from slavery to found this city.

Characteristics:

-Some of the older homes are built from Canadian pine, which was stored in ship ballast., others used local mahogany timber.

-In 1940 a British colonial ordinance forbade the construction of thatched dwellings – as the original board houses were – due to fire hazard.

-Some have a three-foot base layer of porous local stone that helped anchor the house down during Sierra Leone’s torrential wet season.

-Latticework covers the stairs and further lattice panels are inset above interior doors to allow for crossed ventilation.

-Painted in bright colours

Protection initiatives:

Currently, two organizations are working to help restore and protect these historic homes. The country’s Monuments and Relics Commission, which has struggled to protect these aged structures in the face of an ever-crowded city, rising land values, and its own limited budget, and the Architectural Field Office, a non-profit seeking to create a multimedia map of the remaining board houses to bring more attention to the issue and present a case for better preservation.

Location
Freetown, Sierra Leone

Year
2018

Client
Private

Area
3.800m²

Collaborators
–

Renders
Supernova Visuals

Photos
–

Status
Design