African Design Magazine ADM #38 March 2018 | Page 29

GENOME RESEARCH CENTRE that has some beautiful trees and plants which will be accessible once the site is landscaped. Often buildings claim environmental stewardship as a fact through the incorporation of technology such as occupancy sensors and low-voltage lighting. However, the genome centre is more than a mere nod to going green, with a number of passive elements that use the natural environment to maximise energy efficiency and provide a reduced carbon footprint. Electrical systems and lighting are as efficient as possible using LED and occupancy sensorts, and provision is being made for all electrical systems to run off a photovoltaic panel array in phase 2 of the building plan. The entire building will be oriented towards the prevailing wind to provide free cooling power. Another feature that is making people sit up and take note is the use of rammed earth walls. Built using locally sourced materials and local unskilled labour (trained during the construction process), these 972 m2 walls are a modern derivative of an ancient building technique. Mohamed Bedri, from South African- based rammed earth specialists AsaDuru, says that the walls contain a mixture of local earth and a waterproofing admixture that makes them impervious to the harsh Nigerian weather conditions. There is approximately 70% less embodied carbon in rammed earth than one finds in other wall materials. The walls have a further environmental benefit in that they have a high thermal mass which will effectively reduce the energy requirements of the building, by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Not only do the walls blend in seamlessly with the environment, but they have an exceptional load bearing capacity, being able to carry up to three storeys without reinforcement, in spite of the fact that they only need to be 300 mm thick rather than the 800 mm thickness architects generally believe to be the thickness of rammed earth walls. The rammed earth walls for the ground floor are scheduled for completion in mid-April and the team will return to do the walls on the second floor once the floor slab has been poured. “This is the largest rammed earth project of its kind in Africa and AsaDuru is fast winning favour with South African architects as we can complete a rammed earth wall in one seventh of the time required by those using older rammed earth techniques,” says Bedri. Conclusion In addition to becoming an iconic example of what is possible in research centre design in Africa, the Genome Centre will form the precedent for the development of the masterplan for the new Redeemer University campus. Moreover, this highly contextual building will provide a blueprint for Nigerian architecture and construction in the future, leveraging the wealth of available natural resources. AFRICAN DESIGN MAGAZINE © 29