Modularity of Primitive Structure

By Felicia Kiblin

The Ugandan housing crisis has rapidly expanded with rises in both host and refugee populations. This has created a challenge to provide low-cost and quickly constructed houses. Both the Primitive Hut and Modular constructions have features that can provide insight to this issue. The Primitive Hut is a simplistic structure that utilizes repetitive elements. Modular construction does so as well, yet on a different scale. The task then could be to provide a synthesis of these two constructions, with the local materials available.

The Primitive Hut is one of the most iconic architectural typologies in the profession. Marc-Antoine Laugier rejected the Baroque style and described architecture as deriving from three key parts: the column, the entablature, and the pediment. Using these elements, countries at various stages of development around the world can build simple forms of housing. “Simplicity of design and the use of natural materials, what Laugier believes are architectural essentials, are familiar ideas that have been embraced,” by many of the lesser developed countries.

Modular construction is a quick and simple process where block-like pieces, usually of equal sizing or proportion, are assembled on site. The pieces often made offsite and transported to the site where they are constructed. Since the materials are pre-fabricated / pre-made before the site, construction can be simple, affordable, and repetitive. In addition, “Structurally, modular buildings are generally stronger than conventional construction because each module is engineered to independently withstand the rigors of transportation and craning onto foundations”. Modularity can be used in planning or designing at multiple scales, from building blocks to communities.

Using both of these terms in conjunction with each other, designs have been made to provide housing in an effective way. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is a renowned leader that provides great support to the current refugee housing crisis in Uganda. The UNHCR has proposed many ideal shelter examples for a variety of weather conditions, family types, monetary and constructional impacts. In a catalog from 2016, the UNHCR proposed 4 main types of housing designs with detailed examples in each section, including: Global, Emergency, Transitional, and Durable Shelters.

In the Global Shelter section, an example structure is the Refugee Housing Unit (RHU). This project was undertaken by multiple organizations including, Better Shelter. “The RHU is composed of several basic elements, including a lightweight steel frame, roof and wall panels, door and windows, floor covering, solar energy system (lamp and telephone charger) and an innovative anchoring system”. This shelter is meant solely for temporary stay and costs $1,150 to construct.

In the Emergency Shelter section, the Wooden Gable Frame Shelter was used for refugees in camps by using local materials. This is an example used from South Sudan, where refugees were arriving from rural areas and the region had available material to use. The shelter had five models to choose from, starting from the most basic (costing $223 and designed for temporary stay) to the more complete coverage (costing $368 and designed for semi-temporary stay).

In the Transitional Shelter section, an example from Ethiopia, the Compact Bamboo Shelter benefited not only the refugees, but the host communities by providing employment opportunities as well. Using a post-beam structure, bamboo cladding and corrugated iron sheet for the roof, this shelter could be used for 2-4 years occupancy. “The shelter includes an internal partition, two windows, and a main lockable entrance door for improved security,” These features increased costs to $708.

Lastly, in the Durable Shelter section, the One Room Shelter used masonry to build a semi-permanent house with a lifespan of 10 years. A positive feature of this example was: “Community participation was important for the project. Families provided unskilled labor, including plastering inside the shelter”. With the total cost estimating around $2,000, the structure was unreinforced brick walls and concrete foundations.

In regards to feasibility and the nature of this challenge, the Wooden Gable Frame Shelter is possibly the most suiting for use in Uganda. The climates and resources are relatively similar to those in South Sudan. The five models represented are all estimated to be under $500; they are also meant to be simple and easy to construct quickly. The challenge then becomes how to convert this design into a viable permanent settlement instead of a temporary 1-5 year lifespan.