The first houses are due to be completed in Uganda this summer, with more to come.
The first houses are due to be completed in Uganda this summer, with more to come. Photography by Truetopia.

April 6, 2022

Words: Georgina McWhirter

Marc Thorpe Design Teams Up With Affordable Housing NGO Échale International and Stage Six to Build Houses in Uganda

According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the African nation has a deficit of over two million dwellings. To help, Marc Thorpe Design has teamed up with affordable housing NGO Échale International and franchise expert Stage Six to design and build 10 houses just outside of Kampala, the capital. The homes will be constructed from Echale’s re­cyclable EcoBlock, a compressed earth brick made of local soil bound with a mixture of cement, lime, sand, and water.

“We believe in an architecture of responsibility,” Marc Thorpe says. Using earth directly from the site reduces imported materials, thereby drastically reducing the build’s carbon footprint. In addition, each house will harvest solar power and rainwater, driving self-sufficiency.

Marc Thorpe
Marc Thorpe.
Each Kampala House by Marc Thorpe Design for Uganda will have its own water tower to store rain siphoned off the roof for communal sharing during droughts.
Each Kampala House by Marc Thorpe Design for Uganda will have its own water tower to store rain siphoned off the roof for communal sharing during droughts. Photography by Andres Hernandez.
The dwellings will be made of compressed-earth brick.
The dwellings will be made of compressed-earth brick. Photography by Truetopia.
A shaded terrace will wrap the front and side of each home.
A shaded terrace will wrap the front and side of each home. Photography by Truetopia.
The first houses are due to be completed in Uganda this summer, with more to come.
The first houses are due to be completed in Uganda this summer, with more to come. Photography by Truetopia.

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