LAB-08 3D printed dwellings

About 90 percent of Tanzania’s people live in rural settings. Each ethnic group has a unique traditional house structure, ranging from the round, bee hive-shaped house of the Haya, who live on the western shore of Lake Victoria, to the long, rectangular houses made of wood and thatch of the Gogo people in central Tanzania. 

Each ethnic group’s traditional house structure has a corresponding cultural logic that determines the use of space. For example, the Haya traditional house is surrounded by a banana plantation. An area in front of the house used for relaxation and drying of food is kept clean by daily sweeping. The interior of the house is divided into separate functional areas - some reserved for men, some for women, children and cooking, some for animals, and one for honoring ancestors.

Traditional houses are being replaced increasingly by rectangular, 'European' style houses made from a variety of materials, including brick, wood, earth, and thatch. Unlike in traditional houses, cooking areas have been moved outside.

With 3D printing it is possible to realize the tradional housing style with modern production methods.