Practice wins international competition to design extension to Rwandan capital of Kigali
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) has been appointed to design a masterplan for a 600 hectare extension to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
The practice was named as the winner of an international RIBA competition for the job, which will see an initial 10,000 homes built as part of a sustainable and affordable development on the outskirts of the city.
Kigali, Rwanda’s largest city, is home to around 1.1 million people and has experienced rapid population growth since the end of the country’s civil war in 1994.
The new neighbourhood, known as Green City Kigali, is being developed by the Rwanda Green Fund with financial support from the German Development Cooperation through the KfW Development Bank and the Green Climate Fund.
Planned for an underused hillside site, it is intended for low and middle income residents and aims to increase the amount of quality housing in the city.
FCBS said the scheme, which will be built using local construction materials, use renewable energy and prioritise community inclusion, is expected to serve as a model for sustainable urban development that can be replicated across Rwanda and the wider region.
Peter Clegg, senior partner at the practice, said: ‘This is a truly extraordinary opportunity to address one of the major global environmental challenges we face in the next 50 years – the projected mass urbanisation and population growth across the African continent.
“The bringing together of innovative, sustainable, viable, affordable, and culturally relevant solutions has been at the heart of our approach as it has to be realistically replicable.”
FCBS will start by masterplanning a prototype neighbourhood community on the steep western slope of Kinyinya Hill, to the west of the city centre.
A main road will pass through the centre of the development, linking it to neighbouring communities and offering a focus for commercial development. Large amounts of green space for food production will also be included.
FCBS said its proposals are based on a deep understanding of Rwandese social structures and living patterns, and aim to create an urban framework which nurtures community whilst promoting opportunities for new activities and livelihoods.
Teddy Mugabo Mpinganzima, chief executive of the Rwanda Green Fund, said the scheme will “undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for change not only in Rwanda, but also in the region.”
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