Architectural acupuncture I: Small projects, big impact

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Architectural acupuncture I: Small projects, big impact
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Architectural acupuncture I: Small projects, big impact

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Architectural acupuncture I: Small projects, big impact
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In resource-constrained places, small can be powerful. How can a building, acting strategically as an acupunctural node, transform its neighbourhood socially, economically, and ecologically?

In the fifth episode of the Holcim Awards 2023 limited webinar series, we speak with Juergen Strohmayer, Co-founder and Director of DeRoché Strohmayer (Accra, Ghana; New York City, USA; and Vienna, Austria), and Akl Akl, Principal Architect and Founder of Akl Architects (Beirut, Lebanon).

Their respective Holcim Award-winning projects from the Middle East and Africa region — Gold winner Surf Ghana Collective (Busua, Ghana) and Bronze winner Kfar Houneh Ecolodge (Kfar Houneh, Lebanon) — examine the role of small-scale architecture as a catalyst for change.

The two projects reveal that a building’s potential impact has more to do with intent than size. When designers are cognizant of the web of relationships between a region’s cultural, environmental, and economic aspects, a building is more likely to contribute to positive impacts far beyond its physical boundaries.

In the shade of trees, Busua youth mingle on the beachfront deck of the small concrete building called Surf Ghana Collective.DeRoché Strohmayer’s adaptive reuse project, Surf Ghana Collective, is a beachside community space run by a youth empowerment group.
© Julien Lanoo

Surf Ghana Collective, says Juergen Strohmayer, is the first and only “surf lodge” for local surfers and youth in Busua, an up-and-coming surfing hotspot along the western coast of Ghana. DeRoché Strohmayer adapted a single-room structure on the beachfront into a versatile community space.

Strategic design interventions have generated new social spaces, and passive design strategies were incorporated for comfort. The project has been operational for over a year.

The interior of Surf Ghana Collective opens up to the deck and beach beyond. Concrete surfaces have a pinkish hue.The formwork used to cast the roof and columns of Surf Ghana Collective was made with local raffia palm leaves. This technique is common in the region.
© Julien Lanoo

A new low-carbon, cementitious concrete mix was used to cast a new roof that replaces the leaky one that previously existed. The rooftop has been made accessible, thus increasing the space available for use. The new material has also been used to repair and finish the existing structure.

View from the main entrance of Kfar Houneh Ecolodge, showcasing the facade of its agro-food processing centre.Designed by Akl Architects, Kfar Houneh Ecolodge aims to provide an immersive experience to guests while boosting the local agricultural industry.
© Akl Architects

Kfar Houneh Ecolodge, explains Akl Akl, is a recreational and agro-production facility located in Kfar Houneh, a small town 80 kilometres from Beirut, Lebanon. Surrounded by agricultural land, it seeks to promote responsible tourism and historical preservation, while shedding light on the region’s biodiversity. Construction is yet to begin.

Site plan as well as plans and renderings of the agro-food processing centre and a typical guest unit at Kfar Houneh Ecolodge.The Ecolodge design integrates the ruins of buildings damaged during the Lebanese Civil War. They will be revived and connected by a web of hiking trails.
© Akl Architects

Self-sufficiency is ingrained in the design: photovoltaic panels and wind turbines will generate energy on site, and a local agro-food processing centre will allow the locals to make and sell food products to tourists. A stormwater catchment system and a wastewater treatment system will be installed.

Despite their small building footprints, the two projects have big ambitions. Surf Ghana Collective aspires to create opportunities for local youth and prevent the depopulation of talent from the area. Juergen points to some successes: the building is now homebase for events such as international surfing workshops and swimming lessons for children.

People gathering, relaxing, and undertaking activities within and around the Surf Ghana Collective building.Activities such as sports training, competitions, cultural events, and art workshops are regularly organised at Surf Ghana Collective by the local youth.
© Julien Lanoo

Akl explains that creating jobs locally is crucial for economic revival in Lebanon, which has been grappling with the aftermath of several decades of war, a financial crisis, the pandemic, and the Beirut explosion of 2020. Kfar Houneh Ecolodge will fulfil this need by supporting internal tourism and promoting the local agricultural industry.

The projects’ demonstrated and potential impact owes much to the collaborative and broad-reaching approaches taken to developing the briefs and designs. Juergen, for instance, reveals that the brief for Surf Ghana Collective emerged incrementally over multiple informal meetings with the client and engagement with the neighbourhood and community.

For Akl, it was important that consideration of the local ecology, history, materials, and workmanship informed the design process. Collaboration with an environmental scientist and engineers, as well as input from local builders and residents, were instrumental to the design development.

A single eco-unit of the Ecolodge, built in stone atop rocky terrain.The guest units at the Ecolodge will be oriented toward the wilderness, promoting a sense of connection between people and nature.
© Akl Architects

In both projects, in-between spaces are significant. At Surf Ghana Collective, for example, the steps to the beach and the shaded deck act as social centres, teaming with life. Doors are kept open for natural ventilation and thermal comfort, which leads to a blurring of the boundaries between the inside and outside. Where the building begins and ends, says Juergen, is up for debate.

View from the beach towards Surf Ghana Collective. People are occupying extended spaces such as the deck and steps.Activities spill into the open spaces around Surf Ghana Collective.
© Julien Lanoo

Akl takes Juergen’s sentiment a step further. Architecture, he says, should be present and not present at the same time. This idea is reflected in the dispersed approach taken to the site planning of Kfar Houneh Ecolodge.

View of the Ecolodge restaurant, which opens up to the landscape. The material palette is chiefly timber and stone.Bifolding glazed doors will surround the restaurant at Kfar Houneh Ecolodge, allowing diners to engage with the site.
© Akl Architects

Surf Ghana Collective, in many ways, is already living up to its intent. It is not only a hub for local surfers, but is also serving the community at large. Though mindful of regional instability and war, Akl is hopeful that Kfar Houneh Ecolodge will soon materialise. In the long term, he expects the project to become a socio-ecological hub that will create jobs and push sustainable development in the region, while also being a profitable endeavour for the client.

Both Juergen and Akl mention that winning a Holcim Award has generated greater interest in their projects, which they hope will translate into more such opportunities to make a deep local impact.

This limited webinar series is created in collaboration with:

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive.

The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.

Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with our recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector.

The Holcim Foundation is proud to team up with Ecogradia and the host of its podcast, Nirmal Kishnani, with whom we share a common goal: contribute to a just, equitable and sustainable future via sustainable construction and design.

W  |  Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram

This limited webinar series is created in collaboration with:

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

The Holcim Foundation helps drive systemic change towards a more sustainable built environment. It was founded in 2003 to define and promote the key principles of sustainability for the construction sector and is committed to accelerating the sector’s transformation so that people and the planet can thrive.

The Foundation has investigated various aspects of sustainable construction via a series of roundtables and conferences with international experts. It has also recognised excellent contributions to this field with the Holcim Awards which are considered the world’s most significant competition for sustainable design.

Committed to a holistic approach that recognises the equal importance and interdependence of four key goals, the Foundation combines the collective knowledge, ideas, and solutions of our global community of experts with our recognised platform of international competitions to democratise thought leadership for the entire sector.

The Holcim Foundation is proud to team up with Ecogradia and the host of its podcast, Nirmal Kishnani, with whom we share a common goal: contribute to a just, equitable and sustainable future via sustainable construction and design.

W  |  Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  YouTube  |  Instagram

Host
Nirmal Kishnani

Producer
Maxime Flores

Editor-at-large
Narelle Yabuka

Senior editor
Tyler Yeo

Senior communications executive
Sana Gupta

Art director
Alexander Melck | Phlogiston

Sound technician and editor
Kelvin Brown | Phlogiston

Video editors
Guellor Muguruka | Phlogiston
Madelein Myburgh | Phlogiston

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