The New York-based architect has designed a centre for the furniture brand’s Dakar team.
New York-based architect and multidisciplinary studio, Marc Thorpe Design, has proposed houses for the workers of Moroso’s M’Afrique furniture collection. Set on the periphery of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, the project features several angular structures made from traditional earth brick.
Aiming to establish a “work-based community allowing a village to develop around a central economic constituent”, the project caters to the daily life of Moroso’s Dakar workforce, where the manufacturing of its African line is completed.
The Dakar houses consist of several units based on the required space for each individual family, with each building containing two apartments and a central work space, where craftsmanship such as welding and weaving can take place.
The pointed forms of the houses are inspired by traditional African patterns. Made of earth brick, a locally sourced, common building material in Senegal and neighbouring countries, that boasts isothermal properties, the houses are meant to retain cool nighttime temperatures, while mitigating the heat during the day.
Moroso’s M’Afrique furniture collection has showcased the craftsmanship of traditional Sengalese artisans for the past decade. The housing concept is currently being reviewed by artist Abdou Salam Gaye, who commissioned the project.
