Social housing masterplan and public buildings in Cameroon

The “Les Pétales” masterplan, included in the Cameroonian government’s National Social Housing Program, aims to build 10,000 homes and 61 public buildings in six years to respond to the rapid population growth in urban areas and the lack of affordable housing. A pressure that is exploding, with all the related social imbalances, especially around the capital Yaoundé, where the housing shortage is growing steadily.

The hallmark of TAMassociati studio is characterised by a particular approach to architecture, always conceived in harmony with the natural and socio-economic environment. Structured therefore for radical renewal and aimed at the ethical dimension and participatory design, this TAMassociati & Arup project explored ways to develop a new concept of social housing that combines quality and construction efficiency, addressing in particular some of the most urgent contemporary challenges of emerging countries, such as social integration, sustainability and placemaking. In fact, this complex programme addresses one of the most crucial unsolved problems for African cities – the urbanisation of rural areas.