New home and theater provide hope for Tanzanian orphans

November 20, 2007

Watching Tanzanian orphans perform acrobatics at the TunaHAKI Centre in Moshi, University of Florida architecture associate professor Donna Cohen knew the design project before her was much more than a building, it was an opportunity to give the children a space to learn art skills and become part of their community.

“It was inspiring to watch the children perform,” Cohen said. “I also directed them during a workshop and was moved by their enthusiasm and spirit.”

TunaHAKI Centre is a home for orphans, started by Tanzanian artist David Ryatula and his wife Mary. The orphans are taken off the streets and given food, shelter, medical care and a complete education, as well as a chance to participate in arts like acrobatics and drama. While the center has rescued more than 100 children from the streets of Moshi since 1998, the orphans currently live in a rental home without running water, a proper kitchen, or adequate drainage.

Cohen and her partner, UF research associate for historic preservation Claude Armstrong, first learned of the opportunity to design a sustainable home and cultural center for the orphanage through Architecture for Humanity. The non-profit organization seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises, and brings design services to communities like Moshi.

Cohen + Armstrong Architecture was chosen from more than 40 firms who applied to design the theater and cultural center. The Finnish architecture firm Hollmen Reuter Sandman Architects will design the children’s residence.

“Our sustainability curriculum is strengthened by projects like this, as faculty incorporate their research into their courses. Students have the opportunity to gain a global perspective on sustainability and the built environment,” said Christopher Silver, dean of the College of Design, Construction and Planning” The college provided a research grant for the team’s first trip to Tanzania this summer.

“This international collaboration allows us the opportunity to work on contemporary architecture in a culturally significant site,” said Cohen, emphasizing that the partnership is successful because everyone agrees the most fundamental design principle is the necessity of acting locally.

The design team will focus on local production techniques and materials in an effort to support the local economy. The project also will provide opportunities for job training for older children at the center. The hope is that the techniques used in the design of the home and theater will serve as a model for other orphanages in Tanzania.

“It’s important that we are not simply importing our ideas and technology. For the project to be sustainable – to live on and be replicated – it has to integrate with local production and processes, and at the same time, embody aspirations for the future,” said Cohen.