The project stems from my Master’s dissertation, aimed at rethinking today's African cities through environmental practices. You can download the thesis here.

Cotonou, Benin's largest city with 679,012 inhabitants, a demographic weight of 9.82% and the country's population density of 8,419 h/km2, continues to grow denser and to expand outwards since the 90s. Its urban planning is that of the 1960s, a colonial legacy. Since then, urban issues have received little attention, resulting in a lack of overall vision and, as a consequence, uncontrolled urban development and urban sprawl. 

The aim is to articulate the mix of uses to improve the continuity of public and private space, in order to offer a suitable living environment. What are the implications of informal activities in urban dwellings? How can we offer dwellings units adapted to local needs? How can we achieve a functional built environment on the scale of a city block?

The project involves the restructuring of a mixed-use block in Cotonou, and is structured on several scales. Questions of sustainability and local practices and customs are at heart to offer an example of modern West African construction.

My proposal includes a block, comprising a dense program of uses designed for a modern West African lifestyle. Next, the question of shops is addressed with the ground floor reserved for shops/workshops of all sizes, either grouped together in a building, or as attached or free-standing kiosks, street furniture that already exists, but here rethought for greater modularity, flexibility and appropriation.

Finally, the question of housing is addressed in the proposal, where the floors are dedicated to accommodation, sometimes in individual buildings, or buildings linked by courtyards, in order to give rise to the courtyard life so typical of cotton houses.