Maisons Solaire

In the face of rapid urbanization and growing housing demand in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Maisons Solaire challenges conventional, Western-centric notions of housing and family life. In Bingerville, a suburb of Abidjan, land is increasingly subdivided for gated single-family homes—typically following a suburban, car-dependent model. Our project began as a response to precisely this trend: a 200 m² plot with the foundations of a standard house already in place.

Rather than continuing the typical single-family layout, the design evolved through close collaboration with local stakeholders. It embraces the realities of extended family living, shared outdoor spaces, and traditional practices such as cooking outdoors—departing from the Western model of isolated nuclear households with fully indoor, air-conditioned environments.

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The architecture critically engages with the legacy of Tropical Modernism—a movement that prioritized climate-responsive design long before glass façades and mechanical air conditioning became the global norm. Inspired by Abidjan’s iconic La Pyramide, the project reinterprets its stepped shading strategy through a solar canopy that provides both protection from heat and a source of renewable energy, enhancing thermal comfort.

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In its construction approach, Maisons Solaire consciously counters resource-intensive methods. An open column-slab system, based on Le Corbusier’s Dom-Ino model, allows for spatial flexibility and reduces material use. Reused cement bricks and clay-cement composite blocks replace conventional concrete, while the roof combines solar panels with a planted surface for natural cooling and rainwater collection.

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UNITE I (under construction, completion expected Fall 2025): Uses a mix of new and recycled cement bricks
UNITE II (planned for 2025–26): Will incorporate clay-cement composite materials