My project consists of three entirely self-sufficient huts designed for three locations on Mount Kenya and sited with due regard for the landscape. They are also sustainable in environmental, structural and social terms. The level of comfort inside is achieved by a heating system based on passive solar energy together with the cedar wood structure and clay walls.

The design is based on contrasts. That between the climate outside and the comfortable climate inside is the one that appeals to me the most. Then there is a sharp contrast between the simple form of the huts and the complexity of the landscape. A contrast I have tried to moderate is the one between the porter and the tourist. By putting the two on a par in the hut, the porter will work under better circumstances than before.

I stepped off from the potentials of the site as regards both materials and methods. In constructing the huts I have made as much use as possible of the materials on site. The shell is of cedar, as are the window and door frames and the structural members. The clay walls are an example of recycling. Sand, clay and the remains of plants are to hand on the building sites. In terms of building performance, the most important aspect is catching and storing heat. The sun's heat enters through the garret window and is stored in the clay walls. A key aspect, lastly, is that the local population should be able to build the huts.

The architectural expression of both exterior and interior issues directly from the site and such functional premises as programme, building technique, materials and building performance requirements. This approach summons up the image I had in mind when I began on this assignment. The huts radiate warmth and safety and give visitors the opportunity of looking back on the journey they made that day. In the early evening the large garret window gives a view out of the setting sun against the mountain tops, and after that the stars. At night and in inclement weather, the closed hatches protect the huts and the interior is entirely inward-facing. The variety of spaces allows visitors to make a place in the social scene of the hut in which they are spending the evening and night before resuming their climb to the top.

Place of education: TU Delft | Specialization: architecture | Tutors: Robert Nottrot, Guus Westgeest, Andy van den Dobbelsteen, Machiel van Dorst