Creative minds TOGETHER: An Agricultural complex in Dedougou.

Project idea

Agriculture is the work of the land. In the countries of sub- Saharan Africa, agriculture is essential for the growth which is itself necessary to fight poverty and food insecurity. To take full advantage of these possibilities, our project proposes to implement a profusion framework of all the actors of the economy of agricultural innovation in one place, which will allow them to enjoy adequate equipment and to federate their different skills for agricultural development and value creation, that is to say an agricultural pole hence the proposal for a creative city in Dedougou, the fertile city of Burkina Faso and agricultural pole of Burkina Faso including its university is guarantor.

Project description

The site of our project was chosen in Dedougou, pole of agricultural development thanks to the presence of its great faculty of research in agronomy and thanks to the fertility of the area. In this way we can benefit from types of users: farmers with a wealth of millennial know-how and young professionals and students eager to create innovations and opportunities. Bringing these two types of actors together is creating an environment conducive to creation. From where we have arranged the exterior of the building into a public space for creating opportunities to ensure proximity between the two players. The patterns and the layout of the project are inspired by the culture of the local peoples of the city of Dedougou. The constituent materials of the hull are produced by the women of the locality. Thanks to the creation of values from the start-ups created and pole activities, the project will constitute a source of economic boost for the city of Dedougou and beyond. This type of equipment could be a model of engine of urban development for the other medium-sized cities of Burkina Faso by ricochet. Autonomous connectivity boxes outside will serve as a point of attraction for the young people of the locality thanks to the wifi and the energy produced by these elements. Waste and wastewater are captured and reused to generate energy for the project.

Technical information

Emphasis was placed on reducing the energy bill of the project thanks to the optimization between the use of healthy and efficient materials, the use of renewable energies and the protection of the building. That's why the main materials are concrete for the structure and laterite blocs for the walls. The different spaces cluster around the courtyard and are served by interior and exterior passageways. The site is not fenced and access to the site is via a peripheral circulation leading to internal circulation which serves the different areas of the site. The main block is enclosed in a central courtyard allowing optimal flow management. The site is laid out in such a way that the outside is a public space for socializing, business creation and a space for agricultural experimentation (sales areas, connectivity boxes and experimental areas).