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Aging in Africa : Ivory Coast Building

Contemporary Cote D’Ivoire Architecture design by HWKN Architects

post updated 13 April 2025

Design: HWKN, New York City, USA

18 May 2010

Aging in Africa

Aging in Africa sets out to be the first age-valued community on the African continent where the elderly can maintain a meaningful and healthy lifestyle in a comfortable and safe environment. It is a retirement community for Catholic priests that are excluded from the traditional, family based, model of elder care in Cote D’Ivoire.

The architecture is shaped by deploying a holistic set of social, economic and environmentally sustainable theories pertaining to elder living and care. It is about architecture that does not just house caring, it is architecture as the caring device. Our hope is that it is an inspiration for a new breed of community that values the efficacy of spirit over efficiency of care.

images from HWKN Architects

The project, set on a sliver of land between the Atlantic and an inland lagoon, is organized like a typical Cote D’Ivoire village around a central spine which stretches North/South from existing streets to capture the site’s prevailing winds. Perforations along the perimeter let the natural vegetation grow into the village and capitalize on the stunning views towards the water. Single story residential buildings frame the village’s spine and submerge into nature at their back-ends to facilitate drainage and to blend the site’s edge with the environment.

The project’s public buildings are centered on the village axis to reinforce their communal function. Based on simple geometries, the building shapes tilt and fold in relationship to each other, yet with an individual expression. The peaks of the church employ a simple geometry that yields an iconic form that is at once a novel and familiar type of sacred space.

images from HWKN Architects

Aging in Africa – Building Information

LOCATION: Lagoon Aby, Cote D’Ivoire
ARCHITECT: HOLLWICHKUSHNER, LLC (HWKN)
AGING EXPERT: Emi Kiyota
CLIENT: Foundation Saint Joseph d’Arimathie

SCOPE: Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development
STATUS: Schematic Design Completed Fall 2009; Start construction scheduled beginning of 2011
PROJECT TEAM: Matthias Hollwich, Marc Kushner, Robert May, Marc Perrotta, and KimByung Kyun

HWKN Architects

Aging in Africa images / information from HWKN Architects

Location: Cote D’Ivoire, Africa

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image : Boogertman Urban Edge and Partners / Populous
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images courtesy of architects practice