Umoja House

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<li class="carousel-slide carousel-slide_transition_fade carousel-slide_project"><div class="carouselSlideImage carouselSlideImage_transition_fade carouselSlideImage_project" data-options="{"disableIf":".disableCarousel","pauseRotationIfMouse":false,"rotationInterval":8}"> <div class="carouselTitle"> <div class="cookiePolicy cookiePolicy_inline"> <a href="/en/policies/privacy-notice/" class="cookiePolicy-text">We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. Please read our privacy policy and cookies pages for more. By continuing to use this site you agree to our policies.</a> <button class="button button_cookieClose js-hideCookieBanner" type="button"> <svg class="icon icon_cookieClose icon_icon_cookie-close"> <use xlink:href="/images/assets/icons.svg#icon-cookie-close"></use> </svg> <span class="button-label button-label_cookieClose button-label_icon">Close</span> </button> </div> </div> <img class="carouselSlideImage-img carouselSlideImage-img_transition_fade carouselSlideImage-img_project" src="/globalassets/projects/umoja-house/2_umoja_ext3.jpg" alt=" Peter Cook" /> </div></li><li class="carousel-slide carousel-slide_transition_fade carousel-slide_project"><div class="carouselSlideImage carouselSlideImage_transition_fade carouselSlideImage_project" data-options="{"disableIf":".disableCarousel","pauseRotationIfMouse":false,"rotationInterval":8}"> <div class="carouselTitle"> <div class="cookiePolicy cookiePolicy_inline"> <a href="/en/policies/privacy-notice/" class="cookiePolicy-text">We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. Please read our privacy policy and cookies pages for more. By continuing to use this site you agree to our policies.</a> <button class="button button_cookieClose js-hideCookieBanner" type="button"> <svg class="icon icon_cookieClose icon_icon_cookie-close"> <use xlink:href="/images/assets/icons.svg#icon-cookie-close"></use> </svg> <span class="button-label button-label_cookieClose button-label_icon">Close</span> </button> </div> </div> <img class="carouselSlideImage-img carouselSlideImage-img_transition_fade carouselSlideImage-img_project" src="/globalassets/projects/umoja-house/4_umoja_aerial3.jpg" alt=" Peter Cook" /> </div></li><li class="carousel-slide carousel-slide_transition_fade carousel-slide_project"><div class="carouselSlideImage carouselSlideImage_transition_fade carouselSlideImage_project" data-options="{"disableIf":".disableCarousel","pauseRotationIfMouse":false,"rotationInterval":8}"> <div class="carouselTitle"> <div class="cookiePolicy cookiePolicy_inline"> <a href="/en/policies/privacy-notice/" class="cookiePolicy-text">We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. Please read our privacy policy and cookies pages for more. By continuing to use this site you agree to our policies.</a> <button class="button button_cookieClose js-hideCookieBanner" type="button"> <svg class="icon icon_cookieClose icon_icon_cookie-close"> <use xlink:href="/images/assets/icons.svg#icon-cookie-close"></use> </svg> <span class="button-label button-label_cookieClose button-label_icon">Close</span> </button> </div> </div> <img class="carouselSlideImage-img carouselSlideImage-img_transition_fade carouselSlideImage-img_project" src="/globalassets/projects/umoja-house/5_umoja_night3.jpg" alt=" Peter Cook" /> </div></li><li class="carousel-slide carousel-slide_transition_fade carousel-slide_project"><div class="carouselSlideImage carouselSlideImage_transition_fade carouselSlideImage_project" data-options="{"disableIf":".disableCarousel","pauseRotationIfMouse":false,"rotationInterval":8}"> <div class="carouselTitle"> <div class="cookiePolicy cookiePolicy_inline"> <a href="/en/policies/privacy-notice/" class="cookiePolicy-text">We use cookies to help provide you with the best possible online experience. Please read our privacy policy and cookies pages for more. By continuing to use this site you agree to our policies.</a> <button class="button button_cookieClose js-hideCookieBanner" type="button"> <svg class="icon icon_cookieClose icon_icon_cookie-close"> <use xlink:href="/images/assets/icons.svg#icon-cookie-close"></use> </svg> <span class="button-label button-label_cookieClose button-label_icon">Close</span> </button> </div> </div> <img class="carouselSlideImage-img carouselSlideImage-img_transition_fade carouselSlideImage-img_project" src="/globalassets/projects/umoja-house/6_umoja_int3.jpg" alt=" Peter Cook" /> </div></li>

Facts

Location	Client	Cost	Completion	Awards
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania	Foreign & Commonwealth Office	£2.5m	2004	1

Project details

A fitting response to the city and its climate.

BDP designed the structural and environmental engineering for a building in which the British High Commission and embassies of Germany and the Netherlands and for the European Commission in Tanzania were co-located.

Defence against the climate pervaded all aspects of the design. To prevent overall heat gain our design has a floating solar roof and external louvres to three elevations. Materials were sourced locally wherever possible and supported via local agents and contractors.

It is an unfortunate necessity that this space will be enjoyed by only a small community. But if some visitors are inspired by its lessons of regional design it will have been the more worthwhile.
The Architects' Journal

Brief

to create a secure building
build to European standards in one of the poorest countries of the world and with extremely aggressive climate
provide the client with an acceptable internal condition with due regard to sustainable energy sources

Results

we provide a solution to the climatic conditions without over complicating the engineering
the project won the Institution of Structural Engineers special award 2004
2023 Architecture Today Awards - International winner