丨Togo丨Studio NEiDA

Architects:Studio NEiDA

Area:200m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Jeanne Autran-Edorh, Studio NEiDA

Category:Hospitality Architecture,Houses

Lead Team:Jeanne Autran-Edorh, Fabiola Büchele

Design Team:Studio NEiDA

City:Lomé

Country:Togo

Text description provided by the architects. A courtyard house in Lomé's Adakpame district built with compressed earth blocks. Initially designed as the home for two brothers on a piece of land in Lomé inherited from their mother, the project transformed into the Adakpame Guesthouse in the course of the design process. This dual purpose of second home and short-term rental property befits the usage of many homes built by the Togolese diaspora, who often build a house in their home country and start splitting their time between two places.

Arranged in an L-shape that frames a generous courtyard featuring a lush garden, the ground floor has two sets of two rooms, connected by a shared bathroom with an al-fresco common area and a kitchen that sits in the connecting corner of the L. A staircase leads to a second level with a separate living quarter featuring a generous en-suite room, a terrace, and a kitchen.

A covered gallery walkway shelters the rooms' entries from heavy rainfall and provides shade throughout the day. Life happens outdoors and along these covered areas. The garden space in the center has been maximized to create its own agreeable microclimate. And during the rainy season, water is collected here thanks to the slanted roofs. The arrangement along the borders of the plot ensures the residents are sheltered from neighbours and that no wasted area is created along the periphery.

A covered gallery walkway shelters the rooms' entries from heavy rainfall and provides shade throughout the day. Life happens outdoors and along these covered areas. The garden space in the center has been maximised to create its own agreeable microclimate. And during the rainy season, water is collected here thanks to the slanted roofs. The arrangement along the borders of the plot ensures the residents are sheltered from neighbours and that no wasted area is created along the periphery.

The building was constructed with compressed earth blocks, building upon a simple concrete base structure cast in situ. The bricks were made with local clay and manually pressed on site, where they dried in the sun before being assembled. The rooms are naturally cross-ventilated, creating a passive cooling system, which ensures a cool temperature even during the hottest of seasons. A final coating of the brick walls with a mix of raw earth and lime ensures a smooth finish and better weather resistance. The project also features custom-made wooden door frames (Bè Doors).

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