Hope.
A Women's Shelter
A look into the lives of women born in rural Senegal villages reveals the daily struggles they face, such as poverty, poor living conditions and gender discrimination. With those struggles in mind, the structure of this project was designed to reflect and illustrate a sense of shelter for today and a beam of hope for the generations of tomorrow. The project consists of a mega wooden roof covered with bamboo and straws. Similar to a bird that is learning to fly from the dirty grounds to the wide skies, the mega roof that touches the ground and points to the sky replicates a similar motion of freedom, empowerment and hope. Additionally, such structure offers a unique, eye-catching form that can be identified from a distance.
The mega roof embraces a multi-usage and learning mass, meeting mass, a main gathering space, exhibition zone and administration. This is in addition to a semi-shaded stepped learning area proposed by the design team to create a collaborative learning community. Materials used in the design include local, natural materials readily available at the site, such as bamboo, ash, wooden beams and mud bricks.
The masses are designed to replicate the feel of a village within a village protected by a sheltered roof to provide feelings of safety, protection and privacy. Once a woman steps inside the complex, she becomes isolated from the external world and any dangers present in it, and is met with a space that offers emotional, social and psychological support. Creating a space where women feel safe and protected empowers women to connect, learn, invent, and create. Empowered women of this generation and the coming ones create hope for Senegal for a better, safer and more productive tomorrow.
The mega roof embraces a multi-usage and learning mass, meeting mass, a main gathering space, exhibition zone and administration. This is in addition to a semi-shaded stepped learning area proposed by the design team to create a collaborative learning community. Materials used in the design include local, natural materials readily available at the site, such as bamboo, ash, wooden beams and mud bricks.
The masses are designed to replicate the feel of a village within a village protected by a sheltered roof to provide feelings of safety, protection and privacy. Once a woman steps inside the complex, she becomes isolated from the external world and any dangers present in it, and is met with a space that offers emotional, social and psychological support. Creating a space where women feel safe and protected empowers women to connect, learn, invent, and create. Empowered women of this generation and the coming ones create hope for Senegal for a better, safer and more productive tomorrow.
