PROJECT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING TO HOUS THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS ON THE SITE OF THE LEPROSERIE DE MBALLA II

The Project for the construction of an administrative building to house projects and programs on the site of the Mballa II leper colony is a project led by the Cameroonian Ministry of Health. The planned R + 2 building is located on the site of the Mballa 2 leper colony. aims to house the premises on the one hand, programs and projects of the ministry which are installed there in a sparse and anarchic way, limiting their functioning. On the other hand, it will have to integrate all the functions of the current Department for the Fight against Disease, Epidemics and Pandemics (DLMEP), whose site is recommended to accommodate the future headquarters building of the Ministry of Health. The projected building was designed with the aim of meeting the current and future space needs of these different structures.

Our project is unique and singular, associated with the place, anchored in the ground and in the minds of those who will occupy it later. In this sense, it draws its essence from elements of analysis of the local context: climate, site and economy, labor, techniques and materials available, simple expression of function and rational use of materials. By doing so, we are convinced to create the possible circumstances for the emergence of a project specific solution.

Consequently, the diagnostic study of the site made from the angle of topography, analysis of solar trajectories, local wind regime, vegetation, soil geology, environment and related nuisances. to the site has ensured an optimal location of the building. The objective of this approach is to guarantee comfort for future users and energy performance for the building.

The building is set up in harmony and continuity with the site and therefore follows its morphology. Thus, the joint consideration of the program, regulatory setbacks and the geometry of the land makes it possible to obtain the general shape of the building, made up of patios in order to benefit from sufficient natural lighting.

The hot and humid climate which characterizes the local context has led us to consider the different levers in order to guarantee comfort and performance in the building:

Promote air circulation;
Avoid heat build-up.

As such, we have used several simple and complementary solutions

Ensure optimal orientation of the building facades through an east-west orientation in order to limit solar gain;
Create a shadow zone around the building with protruding storage that can be seen on the facades of the building;
Keep the building away from additional sources of humidity by the presence of pilings which promote ventilation from below the building;
Ensure permanent natural ventilation of the premises made possible by the patios.

The arrangement of functions and activities within the building follows a double principle: the principle of hierarchy between functions and that of privacy. According to the principle of hierarchy, the functions are arranged in decreasing order of their level of importance (in decision-making terms) from the upper floors corresponding to the most important functions to the lower floors corresponding to the less important functions. In addition, this arrangement according to the hierarchical order is in line with the search for privacy. This principle is presented, from the lower floors to the upper floors, as a progression from public and social activities to private and individual activities.

At the level of each floor, a color code has been defined in order to differentiate the functions and spaces between them. This principle applies both to the plan representation and to the treatment of the interior walls of rooms and spaces. This principle has been extended to facades

In the latter case, the colors have been organized so that the complementary colors are positioned in close proximity to each other. This arrangement makes it possible to create balance and contrast so that the information stands out better on the facades and has more impact.

The clear separation between the shell and the layout due to the structural system gives our work flexibility, modularity and adaptability which will facilitate its future reorganization in order to adapt it to new needs. In the same sense, the project can easily be the subject of a future extension, and this in the continuity of the structural framework initially planned, without this affecting the structural integrity of the building to be constructed.

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