Knowledge forest

College Universitaire d'Architecture de Dakar

Project idea

Training school on environment related professions at the heart of the Bignona forest in the south of Sénégal with a focus in terms of design and plan works on the heart of the project: the library. The aim is to create a building that will drag attraction, form professionals to protect it and exploit sustainably and create job opportunities for local population.

Project description

The Bignona forest is one of the few green lungs of Senegal ; it is in high need of protection.
However, the intensive exploitation of its resources has endangered it time and time
again. Despite all these problems of protection and sustainable exploitation, Ziguinchor and its “greens” has an enormous potential; the south of Senegal remains one of the most attractive touristic sites of the country, the possibilities to exploit through the prisms of tourism, sustainable and social development are endless. Said possibilities are the main reasons for this training school on environment related professions with a focus in terms of design and plan works on the heart of the project: the library. Protecting the forest also means protecting the esthetics hence the need to integrate the building to its environment to create a homogenous result. Straight lines scarcely appear in nature, rounded and curved shapes are the genesis of most things and more specifically the shape of the essence of everything: cells. Whether they are of animals or plants, the shapes are roughly the same. The design concept is inspired by the esthetic of cells’ shapes and the desire to create “balance” between built and nature from a fragile and odd homogeneity.

Technical information

Buildings on stilts to allow for uninterrupted water flow and untouched animal habitats.
Structure: stainless steel geodesic dome with wooden and glass triangulations, tensile structure for galleries surrounding domes.
Concrete platform as base for geodesic dome