Architecture firm Hassell has unveiled designs for a new community building to be constructed with 3D-printed earth and locally sourced timber in a Tanzanian village.

Working in collaboration with Australian-based charity foundation One Heart, Hassell has designed the community hall as part of the Hope Village, One Heart Tanzania masterplan to provide housing, school, childcare and skills training to vulnerable young girls in Kibaha on the eastern fringes of Dar es Salaam. The building will function as a central meeting point, providing a space to local residents for fostering connections with the wider neighbourhood through communal meals, performances, care and educational programmes.

Hope Village is designed to provide a home for up to 67 children aged 3-18 years old. The masterplan for the village – a collaboration between Hassell and architectural firm ClarkeHopkinsClarke (CHC) – provides safe family accommodation, a school servicing 480 students, alongside childcare and skills training to benefit the local community.

Designed around sustainability, the building will feature 3D-printed earth walls and an innovative roof structure made from locally sourced timber sections, developed in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) and international engineering firm, Eckersley O’Callaghan (EOC).

Hassell chose 3D-printed earth for its numerous environmental benefits from the use of site-based materials and reduction in energy production to its recycling and afterlife qualities. Instead of a solid barrier, the walls are made using a complex pattern of interwoven layers, which allow for increased ventilation and natural light within the building’s interior spaces.

“Earth is a construction material widely used in Tanzania. It is local, and has been used in a unique manner to create an architecture that responds to the climate, the availability of resources and the social structures. Furthermore, there is a great local knowledge and tradition of the use of this local material. This is why we wished to combine its use with the innovative technique of 3D printing,” IAAC co-director Edouard Cabay said.

Aligned with the design brief, which sought a large, open and uninterrupted area with a limited number of columns to ensure flexible use by as many people as possible, Hassell incorporated a central steel beam that serves as the structural spine of the hall, supporting a tensile roof framework that spans the entire community building.

Hassell also collaborated with structural engineers EOC to design the innovative roof structure made from small locally sourced timber sections, which are connected to create a large-scale fabric-like material, and will resemble an elegant woven timber ‘blanket’ draped over the central steel spine of the hall. The roof will be supported by cladding made of readily available corrugated metal sheet panels. The earth walls and timber roof will provide a warm and generous shared community-focused environment inside.

Creating a multipurpose space was essential to the design, enabling the building to be divided into several small areas or one large area to increase capacity. Additional internal facilities include a kitchen, bakery and communal storage. The building, which will function as a school hall for gathering and school meals, will be open to all local residents over weekends, serving as a hub for assembly, performance, connection and reflection for the entire community.

Hassell, One Heart, IAAC and the CHC team will oversee the transportation of vital building equipment needed to 3D-print the building’s walls from local earth.

Mark Loughnan, principal and head of design at Hassell said, “The Hope Village community hall design seeks to create a beautiful, functional, safe and uplifting environment that provides both hope and education for vulnerable girls. The hall is a welcoming space that creates an innovative central activity hub that also connects with its surrounding environment. The design and building process for the hall aims to engage the community and provide ongoing opportunities for local participation and education throughout construction."

Olivia Goodliffe, designer at ClarkeHopkinsClarke/One Heart said, “The Hope Village project is dedicated to creating a safe and welcoming environment for children, fostering a sense of belonging within the community. Our design aims to provide essential facilities that support the children, creating spaces where they can connect, learn, and grow together. One Heart's aim is to create sustainable and impactful change, and by involving the local community in the construction process, we are equipping them with new skills and creating a sense of ownership of their new community facility.”

Images: Supplied

Branko Miletic

Community-Hall-Hope-Village-Courtesy-of-Hassell-and-Imigo1.jpg

Community-Hall-Hope-Village-Courtesy-of-Hassell-and-Imigo2.jpg

Community-building-with-3D-printed-earth-walls-1732001185.png

Let’s connect!