One Looped Wall

Tanzania faces an acute housing deficit of over three million units, with the majority of urban residents living in unplanned settlements lacking adequate infrastructure. In response to this urgent need, our proposal for the Jorejick family near Karatu embraces Tanzanian traditions of simple, protective enclosures while reinterpreting them through a contemporary, flexible design. At its core is a single looped wall, a humble yet powerful element that bends, punctuates, and weaves to organize the family’s six bedrooms, living areas, kitchens, and outdoor spaces. The wall simultaneously defines privacy and openness, integrates verandahs for ventilation, and extends into existing site structures to create continuity. Using locally available bricks, stone foundations, and timber, the design remains cost-effective, resilient, and buildable by the family themselves. More than a house, it becomes a collective space where domestic life, education, and cultivation intersect, embodying both the unity of the Jorejicks and the adaptability required for Tanzania’s growing housing crisis.