La Voûte Nubienne

Benin: Feedback workshop on the project co-financed by the EU

Chloé Adloff — 2023-06-22T12:13:00Z

At the beginning of June, the stakeholders of the project "A bioclimatic construction sector for youth employment in Benin '' gathered in Cotonou on the occasion of the restitution workshop, with the aim of presenting the results obtained as well as the perspectives of the project.

Started in December 2019 and ending this summer, co-financed by the European Union, the project has notably contributed to strengthen the economic integration of young people in 8 districts of Atacora and Donga during the off-season period.

The results are conclusive:
– 326 young people were trained, on construction sites and in academies,
– 82 young people were supported in entrepreneurship and self-employment
– 144,000 people were made aware of the NV concept
– 170 projects were carried out through financial incentives for eco-construction
– 8 operator partners were involved in the smooth running of the project
– more than 100 stakeholders were sensitized

Download project report (french)

Even if there is still a long way to go to register widely and sustainably the NV eco-construction sector in Benin, the prospects for development are encouraging, with in particular the implementation of the SERI (AFD financing) and ACACIAS (FFEM/PNUD financing) projects planned for the next few years.

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Other articles previously published on the project:
– Benin: the second prize-giving event for the most beautiful NV
– AVN/AVIGREF-P:a strong partnership for adapted habitat in Benin
– EU Project in Benin: results and perspectives from the first year
– A bioclimatic construction sector for the youth of northern Benin

A Nubian Vault building for the Nongre Cultural Centre in Ghana

Chloé Adloff — 2023-04-24T08:44:41Z

A new NV building for the Nongre Crafts and Culture Centre in Bolgatanga, northern Ghana, comprising a meeting room and a small library for the use of local children and their families, was completed in March this year. Their original timber and zinc roof building had been badly damaged in a storm several years ago.

Funds for the NV construction were raised by staff and students of the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Vienna, and the associated Young Earth Builders group. Four architecture students from the University were involved in initial discussions about the design of the building, and also documented its construction as part of their degree work.

Construction was carried out by NV artisan builder Samuel Kogo and his team in liaison with AVN's National Coordinator Emmanuel Atubiga. The Director of the Nongre centre, Adombila, and his staff are so pleased with this building, so much more robust and comfortable than their original one, that they hope to have a second NV built alongside it next season.

Video: Guided tour by AVN Ghana's Coordinator Emmanuel Atubiga

Benin: Visit of the Ambassador of France

Chloé Adloff — 2023-04-21T12:19:00Z

On April 28, 2023, the AVN Benin team had the honor of receiving in its offices in Djougou the French Ambassador to Benin, Mr. Marc VIZY, and the Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Benin Mr. Jérôme Bertrand HARDY, accompanied by the local authorities including the prefect of the department of Donga, the Mayor of the commune of Djougou and the Departmental Director of the Republican Police.

Various topics were discussed, including the presentation of the catalogue of AVN proposals, the AVN-AFD Program Agreement having started in November 2022, the Building Energy Efficiency Plan (PEEB) drawn up by the AFD Energy Department, the ACACIAS project, the organisation of a workshop marking the end of the EuropeAid project in June and the ambitions of AVN in Benin.

The visit to a NV site under construction enabled the delegation to meet the learners and their trainer.

Benin: avenues for collaboration with NGOs in the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve of the W-Arly-Pendjari region

Chloé Adloff — 2022-11-17T09:32:00Z

As part of a synergy being established with the programme of the Cross-Border Biosphere Reserve of the W-Arly-Pendjari region (RBT-WAP), the AVN-Benin team organized an on-site visit with partner NGOs of the Reserve, followed by a working session.

The visit of 5 NV buildings (housing, livestock and traditional ceremonial buildings of the Natimba people called "Tata Vaults") and the meeting with NV market stakeholders (NV clients and masons) allowed participants to learn more about the NV technique and its advantages, and to be reassured about the cost savings compared to other construction methods.

The reflection on possible partnerships is in progress. An NGO (Espace Vert) has already expressed its interest in the choice of NV in their construction projects in the municipality of Kèrou. RBT-WAP supports this approach and remains convinced of the relevant responses (adapted buildings, training and green jobs, rural development) provided by the AVN programme to solve the problems faced by populations living on the outskirts of the parks.

Launch of the DEFI-VN in Senegal

Chloé Adloff — 2022-05-02T08:25:11Z

The official launch of the DEFI-VN project took place in Dakar on March 22nd in the presence of many institutional personalities, including Pierre Bédier, President of the French Department of Yvelines, MM. Mamadou Talla, National Education Minister, representatives of the Directorate for School Construction and of the French Development Agency (AFD).

This project, co-financed by the AFD via la Facilité de financement des collectivités territoriales (FICOL) is being implemented by the Yvelines Department in partnership with the three Departments of Fouta, Podor, and Kanel with operational and technical support from the NGO Le Partenariat and AVN. It carries on from the NV Fouta project implemented since 2016 in North Senegal, aiming to integrate the NV eco-construction training programme with those offered by the three local Professional Training Centres, and have it recognised via official certification (CQB/CQP), as offered in Burkina Faso last season .

Nicolas Dupuy, Technical Director and Coordinator in Senegal of Le Partenariat gave a presentation of the NV technique during the launch ceremony, supported by a convincing intervention from Pierre Bédier citing the example of the many community buildings completed over the last few years as part of the NV Fouta project. Mamadou Dia, President of the Department of Podor, also intervened, stressing the importance of official recognition of the NV technical concept as part of the formalisation of the NV market.

Mali : storage barns for people in the « three frontiers » zone in partnership with AVSF Mali

Chloé Adloff — 2022-04-11T08:46:39Z

In February 2022 AVN Mali completed the construction of the first 8 onion storage barns in the Cercles of Gourma Rharous and Mopti in Mali, for the Association Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) as part of the « 3 frontiers » project financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The barns were built by NV artisan-masons and their teams from other regions, as the NV market is not yet sufficiently developed in these zones of northern Mali.

The unstable security situation in the region had slowed down implementation of the project : two sites were mothballed as the villagers had fled. In addition, communication with the teams on-site had been hampered by access problems, and limited availability of water and rocks had also been an obstacle.

The two remaining barns should be completed by the end of the current season for AVSF partner organisations, but on other sites than those earlier identified, in the Cercle of Douentza.

As a result of this project, new collaborative projects between AVN-Mali and AVSF are currently being envisaged.

Mali : Ongoing deployment of the NV market in the commune of Guégnéka (Centre), supported by ENABEL

Chloé Adloff — 2022-04-11T08:44:46Z

AVN Mali is progressing the deployment of the Nubian Vault in the commune of Guégnéka in the Cercle of Dioïla, with the support of the Agence Belge de Développement (ENABEL).
The trainee masons and their teams who had joined AVN's dual training programme in 2020, had reinforced their technical skills with the construction of « demonstration » NV chicken coops of different sizes, as well as their first buildings for private clients. As a result of the distribution of financial incentives for these buildings, they will be able to strengthen their skills on new projects by the end of the season. 14 NV buildings will be completed by the end of the season through this project. This deployment, supported by ENABEL, should facilitate the mobilisation of new resources and lead to a definitive establishment of the NV market in the region.

The French Ambassador to Senegal visits the DEFI-VN project

Chloé Adloff — 2022-04-11T08:42:40Z

In February the French Ambassador to Senegal, His Excellence Philippe Lalliot, paid a visit to the NV Hôtel de Département of Matam and the construction site of the Hôtel de Département of Kanel, and also met the stakeholders of the DEFI-VN project (see below) which is due to launch soon.

In post since then end of 2019, the Ambassador had already met the staff of the NGO Le Partenariat, AVN's partner for the NV Fouta projects (2016>2021) and DEFI-VN.

The DEFI-VN project: the Conseil Départemental des Yvelines, in partnership with the Departments of Kanel, Matam and Podor, has proposed a new project to the AFD, financed by FICOL, to promote NV ecoconstruction and the training of the actors of the sector (NV artisans and their teams, technicians, contractors, firms etc.), including the integration of NV training into the programmes of the three Professional Training Centres. AVN and Le Partenariat would implement this project with the support of the relevant Senegalese Departments and the Conseil Départemental des Yvelines and its representative in the Fouta, the Maison des Yvelines.

Benin: the second prize-giving event for the most beautiful NV

Chloé Adloff — 2022-03-28T08:26:00Z

As part of the project for development of a bio-climatic construction sector for youth employment in North Benin, co-financed by the EU, AVN and the Union Communale des Coopératives des Producteurs d'Anacarde (UCCPA) of Ouaké organised, for the second year running, a competition for the « the most beautiful NV ». This competition aims to motivate NV clients to perfect the finishes of their NV buildings.
The prize-giving ceremony took place in March at the Mairie of Ouaké : three NVs built this (...)

- News / Advocacy and events, Benin, Rural private building, Saison 2021-2022

Conference at the Technical University of Vienna

Chloé Adloff — 2022-02-21T08:06:55Z

In mid-January, Anthony Kaye, Vice-Président of AVN, was invited by Dr Andrea Rieger-Jandl, anthropologist and specialist in earth architecture at the Technical University of Vienna, to give a video-conference lecture on the NV technical concept and AVN's development strategy, to a group of 50 or so students and associates of the Vienna Earth Building Network .

Link to the slides used in the lecture

AVN's programme is clearly an excellent case-study which is arousing great interest internationally from major architectural and engineering institutions and universities, such as the École des Mines de Saint-Etienne, the École Africaine des Métiers de l'Architecture et de l'Urbanisme de Lomé (Togo), Sushant University of Delhi, India, and, in the near future, the École de Ponts ParisTech, where Thomas Granier, Co-founder and CEO of AVN, will be giving a lecture next April.