Yaounde Mushroom Farm: A canopy forest that brings people closer to nature

Ecole Africaine des Métiers d'Architecture et d'Urbanisme (EAMAU) a Lomé (Togo)

Project idea

-How to do more with less?
-What should the industrial architecture of tomorrow look like?
-What can we achieve when we are inspired by a principle such as 'evolution' found in nature?
-How to reduce the distance that is increasingly created between Man and nature?
-Just as the abolition of slavery led to many inventions, including the steam engine, what will the abolition of agricultural waste lead to?

Africa's soaring population, armed conflicts and climate change pose many challenges, not least of which is feeding the population. Logically, increased agriculture means increased agricultural waste. This increase in agricultural waste is worrying because, despite the significant growth in the amount of agricultural waste produced in our cities and elsewhere, optimal recovery systems are not being adopted.
Mushroom cultivation is a reference model for sustainable development because :
1-The above-ground cultivation of mushrooms does not require arable land or fertilisers.
2-Mushroom cultivation under cover is not seasonal.
3-Mushrooms are grown on the remains of various crops.
4-Mushrooms are rich in good proteins. The cultivation cycle is very short.
5-The used substrates can be used as feed for cattle, goats, pigs or poultry.
6-After composting, they can also be used as organic manure and improve crop yields.

With the idea of creating a miniature nature, the concept of the project is based on the principle of the increasing evolution encountered in nature and in life in general. In our opinion, this is one of the elements that makes nature so beautiful. In order to make the evolution of our project appreciable, we have based it on 5 elements:
1-The colour: Brown
2-The height:
3-Shape
4-Function:
5-Structure: Canopy

Project description

Context
A major industrial activity (wood processing and treatment) is developing in the Yaoundé 3 district, as planned in the Yaoundé 2020 master plan. Coupled with this rampant industrialisation and population growth, so-called family and semi-industrial farms are exerting unprecedented pressure on the commune's natural resources, leading to soil impoverishment. Despite their increase, the residues (sawdust, shavings, maize stalks, straw, manioc peelings, etc.) from these activities follow the same chain of valorisation (use as fuel and composting), which is of little benefit to humans.

Description
Located in the Etoa district, our proposal for a unit to produce edible mushrooms from agricultural waste aims to make sustainable use of the resources available in the commune (waste, materials, know-how, etc.). The diversity of functions (teaching, production, entertainment, nutrition, recycling, storage, care, shelter and sale) within our proposal helps to create an ecosystem in symbiosis with its environment, thus breaking with the vision of the classic factory. Finally, this proposal aims to create an architectural symbol at the city level, which will mark the beginnings of urban agriculture and furthermore of industrial architecture inspired by nature.

Architectural quality
-The architectural approach is based on a module that evolves according to 5 elements as the proposal progresses: colour (brown), height, shape (I, L, U, O), function, and structure (metal canopies).
-Creation of an architectural icon for the city, through the simple volumes in recyclable material (earth) and the magnificent contrast created between the straight lines of the walls and the undulating lines of the canopies inspired by the mushroom cap.
-The structural grid system (posts, beams) allows for the easy upward extension of the buildings.

The social quality of life
-Mushroom-inspired furniture decorates the green space for relaxation, encouraging social interaction between users (visitors, workers, and learners). This arrangement improves productivity within the unit.
-Access ramp at the entrance of each building, facilitating access for people with reduced mobility.
-Availability and accessibility of edible mushrooms (oyster mushrooms) in all seasons and to all social classes thanks to the sales point present in the project. Continuous supply to local markets.
-Modernisation of edible mushroom cultivation techniques and immersive training in them, thanks to the housing, training rooms and laboratory provided.

Respect for the environment
-Practice vertical agriculture through two floors dedicated to the cultivation of edible mushrooms. -Use of the residues of the edible mushroom cultivation as compost inside (experimental fields) and outside (impoverished soils) the proposal.
- To achieve total autonomy, the rainwater received by the roof is directed through PVC pipes to be collected in underground tanks. This water will be used for the maintenance and watering of green areas. The water collected by the canopies is channelled through the gutters to a retention basin. This water will be returned to nature (in a stream near the site) after decanting.
Significant energy savings thanks to devices such as temperature-regulating BTC walls.
-The thermal comfort in our buildings is the result of a combination of several elements. The first is the canopy with a span of 1.5 m which protects all 4 façades of the building from direct sunlight, thus casting a shadow on the façades and reducing the temperature. The second is the earth material of which all the walls of the building are made. This allows for temperature regulation thanks to its isothermal properties. And finally, the third is the combined action of a ventilated double ceiling and a perforated false ceiling in the form of an earthen arch, which allows the hot air from human activities and from the man himself to escape. This air is expelled very quickly thanks to the venturi effect created by the numerous vaults of the false ceiling.
-The longest axis from east to west is the best orientation for the solar protection of the walls. This is why all buildings have their longest axis oriented in this direction.
-In order to stop horizontal expansion and its impact on the environment, we recommend that buildings be extended in height. This is possible thanks to a structural grid system (post and beam) which allows the extension of buildings in height.

YMF apps
This application aims to promote and democratise the benefits of the blue economy, sharing the idea that we can do more with less. Just as in nature every waste has a taker, the application will put in contact with the producers of waste (large, medium or small production and transformation industries, any human activity producing waste that can be better managed) and the buyers or actors able to recycle them (e.g. edible mushroom producers). Finally, the primary function of the application is to encourage and popularise the cultivation of edible mushrooms from agricultural waste in Cameroon and Africa.

Technical information

The construction of the buildings is made of earth material, using the compressed earth brick technique. The canopies are made of metal with a layer of wire mesh to prevent pests from entering. All buildings have a crawl space with a concrete base to protect the earth walls.

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