A farm in the Sahara Desert

Memory of a place

A small place created by a family of farmers
Buildings made from the dirt of the land
Created for the purpose of utility and beauty
Rooms for the family, spaces for work and rest
Shelter for the animals
Spaces where light was absent
Changes in temperature and humidity
A home in the eastern part of the Sahara in Egypt, not far from the river Nile
– My great grandfathers dwelling

Building on this memory I want to create a farm in the Sahara desert that respond to the place
it exists and the people that build it.

The project is a farm connected by a desert road near the Nile Valley. Every year villag-es around the Nile Valley experience that their agricultural land is being sacrificed for new settlements due to a steady growth in population. Over the years many have therefore started dreaming about moving to the desert where they can reclaim new land.



I found a place at the South-Eastern part of my location where it seemed possible to create a structure spanning from one foot of a mountain to another. While this structure creates a strong border between the farmland and protects from the winds of the desert in the South. On the North, East and West side of the farm the surrounding mountains take this role. A long linear structure like this one, has two distinct sides. On the north side of the wall there will be a shadow and in the south the wall will absorb the heat of the sun. This can be utilized by the people inhabiting the structure, and for how the farm functions.



This farm tries to make conscious decisions from the start, where the harsh environment of the desert guides the architectural decisions and how the place should be utilized and planned, while at the same time respecting architectural qualities that are deeply rooted in my childhood memory.


 

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Alexander Minge Salim / alexandermingesalim@gmail.com