This article was originally published on Domus 1075, January 2023.

The Star Homes Project engages an interdisciplinary and international team of architects – led by Danish studio Ingvartsen Architects – physicians, social scientists and entomologists in developing a healthy and sustainable home model for sub-Saharan Africa. It is an area that is growing demographically at an explosive rate and where, by 2050, 90 million homes will be built – an amazing figure that calls for the greatest optimisation of resources. The first 110 prototype units were completed in 2021 in Tanzania. They are pavilions with a light steel frame, a handful of concrete infills and large breathable surfaces of netting. On the ground floor, they host a kitchen and storage area while the bedrooms are located on the upper level. The latrine is a separate volume. 

These are sophisticated housing units due to the rigour of their layout, the minimal elegance of the forms and proportions, and the poetic vernacular detail of the built-in bench on the exterior. But above all, these living units are interesting because of the hygiene-sanitary solutions and their low environmental impact. The two floors are indivisible. The pitched roofs funnel rainwater into a cistern and accommodate a solar panel that renders the homes self-sufficient. Natural air ventilation keeps the rooms fresh while eliminating the smoke from the stove and repelling insects that can potentially carry diseases. The Star Homes Project is currently monitoring the living conditions in all the prototypes as well as in the more conventional homes nearby to verify if “a novel house design can significantly improve family health”.