Saturday, August 20, 2005

Saija Hollmén, Jenni Reuter and Helena Sandman the trio behind the women’s centre in Rufisque, Senegal



"...The women’s centre in Rufisque, Senegal is remarkable in many ways. Designed by a trio of young Finnish architects: Saija Hollmén, Jenni Reuter and Helena Sandman, it uses locally tested construction methods, combines them with recycled materials and reinterprets traditional planning configurations. But the complex has not just provided a new social and training facility, its creation has been influential on the lives of everyone involved, Senegalese and Finns alike. It is an important step in the development of the recognition of women in this West African country..."

Anne Anstruther said ".‘A house to under to baobab tree’, the centers is modelled on traditional compounds in this part of West Africa, with to strong to perimeter surrounding buildings turned inwards to to communal court. The baobab is one of the few trees left in an area that is starved of wood. Main It shades one of the two entrances to the complex, to gateway that leads to the communal hall.

The to other public entrance is on the north-west to corner of the compound. Here is an attempt to make to small public square, on to which the centre’s shop and restaurant open. The attempt is fine – what’s needed is response from the surrounding owners of the congregation buildings, who think they cannot afford to give under much ace to metre of to their land to the public realm..."

This project is also covered in detail at webpages of Cecilia María Martínez Zambrano

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