Today I am pleased to share some pictures with you. We have finished our building in Mnenia and it is ready to be occupied. I found it difficult to take adequate pictures: the house is small but feels spacious. Photographs can’t give you the feeling of the light breeze, the sound of the birds, or the cool inside on a hot day. We very much enjoyed staying in the house and hope to return.
In the beginning of the project we set out to build with mostly local materials. I can now say that the stones, sand, clay, bricks and sticks all came from within 1 km of the building site. We hired people to make door and windows in Kondoa, the closest town. Cement and Lime were produced in Tanzania, near Moshi. The many hands that helped were also mostly from the village, except our dome ‘fundi’ Petro Omala, Goodluck Omala, and a few short term volunteers.
Have a look and let me know your thoughts!
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- view from camp centre
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- view from North West
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- bricks frame plastered elements
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- looking up to the vault/dome kitchen ceiling
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- Lightweight custom closet
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- three sections of kitchen counter: earth, wood and cement sink
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- sitting room with cob bench
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- natural stone window sill
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- view through central brick arch to kitchen
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- sleeping space
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- Sun/Moon relief sculpture in sleeping space
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- sunlight through shutters and deep window reveals
Beautiful work Elke! The dome ceiling is gorgeous. I’m glad to see your updates!
Gorgeous Elke! Love those vaulted windows…. beautiful light.
no building code, woo-hoo!
What is the plaster over the dome. does any moisture go through to the brick?
Hi Erik
We have put several layers: base coat is cement with chicken wire, then 1 coat mud with lime added, then plastic sheet, the two more layers of mud/lime plaster.
So far it’s doing good. I’d like to go back and have a look myself.
How are things in Arusha? You are building too, right?
ok thanks.
Yes i have built a number of vaults and domes. I think you visited some in Kisongo at a widows project with Petro OMalla. Arusha is good.
Hi Elke,
I love this………..