Niamey 2000

Location: Niamey, Niger

Residential Project, Built In 2015

Niamey 2000 is a 1700 square meter (18,000 ft2) housing development that was designed in response to the current housing crisis occurring in Niamey, the capital of Niger. By increasing density, the project proposes a new model for urban housing. Niamey is home to over one million inhabitants; a majority of the population is poor and only about 20 percent of its residents could classified as middle-class and above. Nevertheless, the socio-economic makeup of the city has shifted dramatically in recent years. Stronger economic growth has fueled migration to the city, leading to a sizable increase in the middle-class population. Property in the older, affluent neighborhoods remains unobtainable, forcing the low-to-middle income population to seek affordable housing further from the city center.

Architecture: united4design

Team: Yasaman Esmaili, Elizabeth Golden, Mariam Kamara, Philip Strater