Introduction
Global demand for affordable housing in sub-Saharan Africa is on the rise due to rapid urbanization, economic challenges, high unemployment, poverty, and the effect of climate change. However, low-quality workmanship, sub-optimal construction methods, ineffective collaboration, poor coordination, and little communication result in delays affecting the project delivery time. Energy waste, problems with electrification, inefficient water use, high carbon footprints, and unsustainable practices in housing delivery and construction technologies, are contributing to a growing housing backlog.
Cloud-Based Building Information Modelling, 3D-Printing, and modular construction are widely recognized technologies, that can enhance, the rate of delivery of affordable houses. Training and associated costs, along with scepticism from industry professionals suggest that further research can be undertaken to investigate the impact of innovation and digitization on the increase of construction delivery.
The project is proposing a triangulation of activities to introduce civil engineering and built environment graduates to innovation and digital methods, which enhance engineering capacity in sub-Saharan Africa by improving the knowledge, skills, and employability of engineering graduates. The project aims to:
Project Funding
The project is funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) under Higher Education Partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa (HEP SSA).
Prototype Affordable Plywood House
The short-term direct output of the proposed project is to improve the knowledge of students in the built environment about digital constriction and innovative construction methods that can be used to address the problem of housing in Uganda. Accordingly, selected students and academics will be trained during the project period with digital and modern methods of construction. Empowering the staff with new digital skills and competencies will affirm the long-term sustainability of the project objectives.
It is also, envisaged through the project, to add research infrastructure at Makerere University which will serve as an educational facility to showcase the use of the suggested construction technologies. Students will be able to study through a self-build printed panel house prototype model.
Prototype Model Construction: One of the project’s activities involves constructing a section of a self-build printed panel house. This practical construction work, currently under construction will serve as an educational facility for showcasing the use of the suggested construction technologies. The prototype house is developed using BIM and 3-D printing through digital plywood cutting covering an area of approx. 12 sq. Metres (4.2X3.0m).
On completion, the structure will be fully owned and used by Makerere University as a demonstration building and its space will be used according to the need of the university.
CNC Router Machine
Under the project, the Department of Architecture and Physical Planning managed to purchase and acquire a CNC Router machine used to cut various materials including MDF, plywood, acrylic, and polyurethane form/sheet, and metals such as brass and aluminium.
Partner Institutions and Participants
Makerere University (Uganda) (Host-University)
Liverpool John Moores University (UK) (Co-Recipient)
University of Cape Town (South Africa)
University of Johannesburg (South Africa)
Kyambogo University (Uganda)
ACTogether (NGO and Industrial Partner)
