A t t i c

Mangarivotra . Madagascar . 2021

Client Association Tantsaha Mizara

Status Ongoing

This restoration project is located on the slopes of the village Mangarivotra. It is the architectural stage of a large Eco hamlet project.

This is the transformation of a private house into a community attic. 13 hectares of agricultural land surrounding the building are made available to 8 Malagasy farmer families who work and plow each of the allocated plots (in a food self-sufficiency program and permaculture scheme). They plant beans, Moringa oleifera, corn, cassava and at the same time they develop an edible and medicinal forest with the aim of promoting Malagasy traditional knowledge.

The restored 192m2 house is the agricultural activity headquarter :

– community granary where they store the harvests seeds.

– processing workshop and stockage (perfume, aromatic and medicinal plants, Essential Oils, baths, dryers, etc.).

– farmers community meetings.

– reception for volunteers in training.

The restoration consists of reviewing the layout of the rooms, enlarging the eastern facade thanks to a raised terrace on a series of load-bearing posts (major element of traditional local architecture) and protecting it from bad weather by a curtain of Vienna straw, basketry unmissable in the Malagasy landscape. Lime plaster, local wood, thatch roofing and rainwater harvesting are some of the techniques used.