人道主义设计组织Orkidstudio与来自肯尼亚纳库鲁快速发展的农业郊区的一个小型基库尤社区的不同团体一起建造了一个新的房屋，该房屋将容纳当地的弱势和被遗弃的儿童。挑战典型的非洲孤儿院的类型，即孩子们集体睡在大宿舍里，新家限制每个房间只有四个孩子，提供充足的空间和自然光，并以一系列不同的社会空间为特征，从开放的公共区域到安静的角落，提供学习、阅读或简单放松的空间。

Built with a diverse group from a small Kikuyu community in the rapidly developing agricultural outskirts of Nakuru, Kenya, humanitarian design organization, Orkidstudio, have recently completed a new home which will house local disadvantaged and abandoned children. Challenging the typology of the typical African orphanage where children sleep en mass in large dormitories, the new home limits each room to just four children providing ample space and natural light, and is characterised by a range of different social spaces from open communal areas to quiet nooks and crannies offering space to study, read or simply relax.

Orkidstudio的工作重点是造福全世界的儿童和社区，其经营理念是：设计和施工过程可以成为影响社会变革的有力工具，并通过在现场分享技能和知识而赋予人们权力。

Orkidstudio, whose focus is to benefit children and communities worldwide, operate with the belief that the process of design and construction can be a powerful tool for affecting social change and empowering people through the sharing of skills and knowledge on site.

当地广泛居住着石头和混凝土房屋，其中许多房屋通常是不完整的，因为它们的主人在为完成每个阶段的材料而奋斗。作为回应，被称为圣杰罗姆中心的新家是由土袋制成的，利用了地基、卫生设施和雨水储存挖掘产生的大量土壤。当地土壤的粘土含量约为20%，被装入日常的粮食袋中，像超大的砖块一样铺设，形成深而耐用的墙壁，还能有效地吸收太阳的热量，帮助在较凉的夜晚调节温度。

The local area is widely populated with stone and concrete houses, many of which are typically left incomplete as their owners struggle to fund the materials to complete each phase. In response, the new home, known as the St Jerome’s Centre, is made from earthbags, utilizing the large quantities of soil generated from foundation, sanitation and rainwater storage excavation. The local soil, which has around 20% clay content, is packed into everyday grain bags and laid like oversized bricks to create deep, durable walls which also effectively absorb heat from the sun, helping regulate temperatures during the cooler nights.

在短短八周内完成，并得到代表英国各地学校的一小组建筑学学生的帮助，每天有多达七十人在现场工作，其中包括当地妇女，她们与男同事一起工作，工资平等，为该地区的就业开创了罕见的先例。团队中的许多人，无论男女，后来都找到了与该项目直接相关的工作，包括受委托建造更多的土包房，并帮助将这些技能传授给其他人。

Completed in just eight weeks and with added help from a small group of architecture students representing schools across the UK, there were as many as seventy people on site each day, including local women who worked alongside their male counterparts for an equal wage, setting a rare precedent for employment in the area. Many of the team, men and women, have since been approached for work in direct connection with the project, including a couple of commissions to build more earthbag homes and help pass on these skills to others.

新家还采用了由柱芯制成的木材包层，柱芯是单板加工的副产品，是一种经常被作为废物丢弃的材料。此外，雨水收集系统和综合社区水龙头提供了一个独特的清洁自来水来源。

The new home also features a timber cladding made from pillar cores, a by-product of veneer processing and a material which is often discarded as waste. Additionally, a rainwater harvesting system and integrated community tap provide a unique source of clean running water.

“Nakuru是一个非常好的项目，我们很高兴能支持这样一个鼓舞人心和便捷的建设。Orkidstudio的团队不仅为该地区最需要的人创造和建造了一个新家，而且还帮助刺激了相关工人的技能创造和经济发展。我们期待着与该团队在未来类似的雄心勃勃的项目中合作。

“Nakuru has been a fantastic project to be involved with, and we are delighted to support such an inspiring and expedient build. The team at Orkidstudio have not just created and built a new home for those that need it most in the area, but also helped stimulate skills creation and economic development for the workers involved. We look forward to working with the team on similarly ambitious projects in the future.”

Architects: Orkidstudio
Area: 396 m²
Year: 2014
Photographs: Odysseas Mourtzouchos
Project Directors :James Mitchell, Tom Woodward, Guylee Simmonds, Gaynor Duthie, Paul Duffy
Site Team :Helen, Kuria, Owen, Sam, Haron, Geoffrey, Njoroge, Gerald, Njenga, Little John, Big John, Carl, Dennis, Ignatius, Stephen, Kaima, Musheri, Elijah, Yvonne, Cynthia, Elizabeth, George, Paul and Stephen the plumbers, Jimmy and Vincent the electricians, Hassan and team, Nephat and the two Johns, Penina, Susan, Mary, Moses, David, Amber, Harriet, Martin, Nick, Jonny, Becky, Fraser, Niki, Theodora, Willy, Marcus, Aoife, Richard, Catherine, Odysseas, Margaret, Alice, John, Suzanne, Quyen, Nompsy, Sam, Clare, Gemma, Beth, Hazel, Becky, Ben.
Structural Engineers :Structure Mode
Water Systems Consultants :Barr+Wray
Main Contractor :Orkidstudio
Key Sponsors :Barr+Wray, Drum Property Group, Jestico+Whiles, Lee Wakemans, Morris & Spottiswood.
Total Cost :£50,000
Cost/M2 :£126/m2
City:Nakuru
Country:Kenya