Timber iQ Dec 2017 - Jan 2018 // Issue:35 | Page 32

PROJECTS
Interior architectural design of the apartments.
accessible via lateral stairs that descend towards the creek,
passing by an integrated gym at the bottom, and arriving at
an infinity pool. A measured distance from the neighbours
and the road give the building steady impact but is not
overwhelming. The apartment block, enveloped with its
protective skin, rises facing the road, overlooking the creek
and topped with a penthouse.
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
The development is careful to leave the mangroves and
other trees intact on site. In addition, natural, passive
ventilation is a guiding theme in the project design. In the
apartments, cross ventilation is possible from the sea,
through the shaded terraces, to the interiors, via the
integrated wooden lattices and through the
surrounding envelope.
In the distinct ground floor houses, the patios allow
double ventilation: wood lattices allow air to circulate from
the seaside through the interiors and to the patios, while
two superimposed lattices allow ventilation for both the
house and the false ceiling, to avoid transmitting heat from
the sun on the top terraces. Vegetation is also integrated on
the patios and terraces, offering freshness and greenery.
In the absence of sufficient connection to the sewage
system, a bio-digester was integrated to treat used water
before releasing it into nature – into the creek water.
Rainwater collection also provides water to care for
the garden.
STRUCTURAL SKIN:
CONTEMPORARY MOUCHARABIEH
Urko Sanchez Architects designed the moucharabieh skin
following a study of different traditional patterns. It
achieves privacy in relation to the surroundings and for the
filtered, natural light that was needed for the houses. This
skin wraps itself around the apartment block, leaving its
northern façade free, with balconies facing the sea to take
full advantage of breath-taking scenery.
The skin was rendered entirely structural thanks to the
engineering team. A novelty to Kenya, this structural skin
30 DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 //
Shows its attachment to Mombasa's
history by borrowing inspiration from the
rich traditions of Swahili design.
was possible thanks to local and international engineers
working hand in hand and to steel workers on-site who
managed, by dedication and care, flawless bar bending
work without access to any technology.
Spatially, this skin also redirects the tendency to put bars
on windows, becoming itself the border and the filter.
Sometimes the direct limit of the internal house spaces, the
shell is at other times a first filter of sunlight and heat,
doubled by internal handcrafted wood-lattice shutters. In
this way, light is generous and heat is broken down.
Local artisans hand carved the wood work found on site.
Wood work can be seen on main doors, patio houses
terraces doors, kitchen doors lattices and patio lattices,
which were all made by Hussein Carpenter from Lamu.
Internal doors, windows (following the moucharabieh shell
shapes) and ventilation lattices were made by Yogesh
Carpenter from Mombasa.
Wood work for the apartments was also designed by
local artisans from the region. With the main doors
designed by Hussein Carpenter and the internal doors,
windows and cupboards hand carved by Continental Homes
Woodworks Malindi.
CRAFTS, TECHNIQUES AND TEAM WORK
In addition to white plaster finishing, the project uses
mtomo finish, a coral stone cladding technique original to
local small town Lamu that helps keep thermal capacity
thanks to the porosity of the coral stone. The wood work
was realised entirely thanks to outstanding hand carving
by local artisans from Mombasa and Lamu. Local artisans
also produced in situ terrazzo for the flooring of the
patio houses.
The project received an Honourable Mention at the AAK-
Awards of Excellence in Architecture: Best Residential
Project, 2013.