For my graduation project I designed a housing project in the capital of Ghana. Stuart Gold, the founder of the company Trashy Bags bought a plot of land in Accra with the intention to construct houses for his employees who are currently living in slums. I had the opportunity to work with the employees of Trashy Bags, the future residents of the Trashy Housing Project.

The design is based on an incremental scheme, where Stuart will be responsible for the structure and sanitation. The residents will be responsible for the facade and inner walls themselves. In this way the financial costs are divided between both parties.

The architectural scheme gives the families the freedom to grow their house during their lives. Young couples can choose to build a single apartment right now and add extra rooms if necessary.

The structure is made from pressed earth bricks and in-situ poured concrete. Sanitation is included in this structure. The system is covered with a tropical roof of re-used billboard. This will collect the rainwater to flush the toilets, which are connected to a biogas system. Simple but refined detailling make it easy to finish the house for the residents.