African Design Magazine November 2016 | Page 56

solar-powered village Egypt’s first solar-powered village has risen from the desert. Located in Bahariy Workers Village currently provides shelter for 350 people. KarmBuild says it design”, and its use of local, natural materia A ccording to Inhabitat, KarmBuild, which is the only company in Egypt to provide solar technology into a building’s design, is providing Egypt’s Bahariya Oasis village with integrated solar panels, that are going to help in sheltering 350 people. The senior architect on the project, Karim Kafrawi, says that solar panels in Egypt are often overlooked because they are deemed too difficult to integrate into buildings; however, in reality, the designs are going to provide the Tayebat Workers Village with sunlight energy and act as thermal roof protection. He also adds that the panels will be embedded into the buildings unnoticeably, and that they will not ruin the general view of the desert village from afar unless one towers over them. The use of sandstone was an environmentally-friendly 56 africandesignmagazine.com