Indigenous Materials Towards an African Modernity: An Interview with Worofila

Founded by Senegalese architect Nzinga Mboup and French architect Nicolas Rondet, Worofila is a studio dedicated to bioclimatic and ecological architecture. Based in Dakar, Senegal, the firm explores the potential of vernacular materials like earth bricks and typha, applying modern techniques to create effective construction solutions. Their work addresses key issues of the environment, sustainability, and urbanization, merging traditional materials with innovative practices.

The Gorakhpur Farmhouse / DW5 Architects

The Gorakhpur Farmhouse is an unwritten dialogue between architecture and nature—an intuitive response to land, climate, and craft. It does not impose itself but rather listens, adapts, and emerges as an organic extension of its surroundings. Located in a 20-year-old mango-teak orchard, the project follows a fundamental principle: to build without erasure. Every tree on site remains untouched, guiding the home's spatial layout, shaping courtyards, and framing views.

River Terrace / Mestizo Estudio Arquitectura

At 1,250 meters above sea level in a montane forest on the eastern foothills of Llanganates National Park, at the northern edge of Pastaza province, there are around 800 species of vascular and endemic plants.

Floating Cabin / Atelier Wen'Arch

The Floating Cabin, an exhibit at the 2025 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season (SUSAS), is located on the high-pile dock of the Fuxing Island Shipyard Park in Yangpu District, Shanghai. It serves as a supplementary public space for citizens and tourists to relax by the river and for events. The concept originates from the site; the high-pile dock, shipbuilding cranes, pump house, and flood control wall all evoke memories of the industrial history of the Zhonghua Shipyard. The super-scale shipyard machinery and infrastructure on the site presents a state of being static yet potentially dynamic. We hoped to extend this site character into the design of the Floating Cabin, transforming it into a contemporary architectural space that transcends conventional types. "Cabin" refers to the mechanical aesthetics of the shipyard industry, and also to a functional space that accommodates variable content; while "floating" represents a suspended structural state.

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