In the informal settlements of Sub-Saharan Africa, homes are often built from local materials, each reflecting resilience, adaptation, and generations of knowledge. But as cities modernise, many of these indigenous techniques risk being lost along with sustainable, affordable, and resilient solutions they could inspire. The Inform2Build project was created to listen, document, and explore how these practices can shape the future of housing.
Why Inform2Build matters
The Inform2Build project started in May 2025, financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation, a funding scheme that offers researchers the opportunity to explore out-of-the-box ideas. Focusing on generating primary data related to material preferences, construction techniques, and recurring challenges in slum housing, the project puts particular emphasis on documenting indigenous construction techniques that are often lost during formal urban development processes. The project aims to understand whether these practices can contribute to affordable, sustainable, and resilient housing solutions across various contexts in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Starting the journey
Inform2Build is working in collaboration with local organisations embedded in informal settlements, with the aim of creating a network that connects key actors to share knowledge and practical solutions for improving housing quality. The project is driven by the acknowledgement that housing is integral to societal well-being and economic growth (Habitat for Humanity International & IIED, 2023).
The research is planned across ten countries, building collaborations in many others. The first fieldwork took place in June 2025, beginning with four West African countries: Senegal, Benin, Togo, and Ivory Coast. In each, the team met with energetic and committed community leaders who are working tirelessly to improve local living conditions.
First steps in Senegal: UrbaSen’s Eco-Villa
We had a strong start with UrbaSen, an NGO founded by Papa Ameth Keita in Dakar, Senegal. UrbaSen has developed community-driven housing initiatives where residents are fully involved in project planning and negotiations.
Their newest project, the Eco-Villa, focuses on building affordable and sustainable homes for low-income families using locally available materials. Mud and typha - an invasive aquatic plant in West Africa - are central to this work as they have shown many advantages for construction (Khosro et al., 2025). When mixed with clay and shaped into bricks, typha offers benefits like temperature and noise reduction, creating a more comfortable indoor environment. These are exactly the kinds of innovations Inform2Build is documenting, with the aim of sharing such techniques across regions where they could bring tangible benefits.
Traditional techniques in Togo and Ivory Coast
In Togo and Ivory Coast, we explored housing techniques that have been passed down for generations. In the village of Vogan, Togo, homes are built with thick mud walls compacted by people sitting on them, a practice that helps remove moisture and shape the roof base.
In Ivory Coast, in Gomon and near N’Zodghi, we found manual rammed earth houses reinforced with bamboo lattices. The walls are thinner, and bamboo provides internal strength. A recurring structural weakness was observed in the corners of these houses. However, in Gomon Village, we discovered an ingenious variation: rammed earth walls reinforced with hardwood columns, horizontal bamboo strips, and curved bamboo joints that lock corners together. This innovation could provide a longer-lasting solution and represents the “aha moments” Inform2Build is searching for.
Building on the coast: adapting to nature in Togo
In the coastal communities of Katanga and Gbetsogbe, Togo, climate challenges strongly shape construction practices. Sea air rapidly degrades natural materials, forcing frequent repairs. We observed homes built with woven palm leaves or bamboo walls crafted using traditional braiding techniques. But many houses were made from a patchwork of materials: plastic, wooden boards, aluminium sheets, reflecting both resource scarcity and climate issues.
Insights and ah-ha moments
The Inform2Build project has already uncovered promising insights into the diversity of construction practices in informal settlements across Sub-Saharan Africa. From bamboo-reinforced corners in Ivory Coast to typha-brick houses in Senegal, these stories highlight a wealth of local knowledge, resourcefulness and innovation in using natural and locally sourced materials. Just as important, they reveal strong community-led construction traditions where families and friends gather to help one another when building the houses.
Looking ahead
These early findings underscore the value of traditional techniques and community networks in developing more affordable, resilient, and sustainable housing. As the project continues, our goal is to deepen collaborations with local organisations, strengthen knowledge exchange, and support the creation of a regional network that empowers communities to improve their living conditions from within.
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References:
- Habitat for Humanity International & International Institute for Environment and Development. (2023). Increase in GDP possible in some countries through housing improvements in informal settlements. Habitat for Humanity. https://www.habitat.org/ap/newsroom/2023/increase-gdp-possible-some-cou…
- Khosro, S. K., Soltani, P., SheikhMozafari, M. J., Piégay, C., Amininasab, S., Faridan, M., Taban, E., & Monazzam Esmaeelpour, M. R. (2025). Acoustical, thermal, and mechanical performance of Typha latifolia fiber panels: Experimental evaluation and modeling for sustainable building applications. Journal of Building Engineering, 99, Article 111579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.111579
