St jerome’s children’s home

This new home for orphaned and homeless children in Nakuru, Kenya was designed and constructed as part of a volunteer group with the charity OrkidStudio. Built in just 2 months, the team worked alongside local workers, creating jobs, improving skills and empowering women.

Designed as an alternative to the metal-clad buildings in the surrounding area - which become too hot or too cold - the buildings are constructed from local timber and earth bag walls. These are grain bags filled with the soil excavated on site, so they are cheap, quick to construct and help regulate the temperature differences inside. The cladding is made using timber cores, waste products from veneer-production. To reduce running costs, rainwater harvesting and plenty of natural light were included in the design.

Design: OrkidStudio (now BuildX)