Roots & Wings Computer Lab

The Global Studio is working with Roots & Wings International to assist with the visualization of a new computer training center in the village of Pasac, Guatemala. Roots & Wings is currently working on securing funding for a new building which will house a computer resource lab and local offices.

SIDAREC set to begin construction!

After months and months of waiting, the day we've been building toward is here.

NAIROBI, Kenya – Dec. 2, 2009 – Construction is cleared to begin on the SIDAREC-Mukuru Kwa Njenga Center here, giving the expectant African community a powerful tool to end the cycle of poverty. The community center, designed for Slums Information Development Resource Center (SIDAREC) and the needs of Nairobi youth, will give Mukuru residents access to the Internet, computer and technology training, health clinic services, early childhood development programs, and a community theater. A radio station and recording studio will top out the six-month construction project, beaming SIDAREC’s radio station Ghetto 99.9 to more than 650,000 local residents and countless listeners around the world.

The community center is a cooperative effort by the 50x15 Foundation and Architecture for Humanity, in local partnership with SIDAREC. Leaders from the three organizations met at the building site Nov. 17 to launch the construction phase and campaign to garner additional support to help “Raise the Radio.”

During the planning for the new community center, a fire destroyed SIDAREC’s previous radio tower and studio. “Ghetto 99.9” is the energizing pulse and beat of this community, providing news and music to thousands in Nairobi. 50x15 and Architecture for Humanity modified the overall plan to include a completely new studio and have launched an incremental “Raise the Radio” fund-raising campaign to ensure the entire community center opens as scheduled. (http://bit.ly/raisetheradio) Please visit the link to contribute to the success of the project.

---partial press release from AMD's 50x15 Initiative

TGS featured in AIA Seattle's Forum Magazine

The Global Studio and its recent work is featured in AIA Seattle's quarterly Forum Magazine. Geoff Piper raising the roof on a composting toilet in Nicaragua made the cover of this Winter 2008/2009 issue. Click the cover image below to download the entire publication.

TGS in the news...

The Global Studio was featured in Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine on Sunday, March 8th for our design work with underserved communities in Kenya and Nicaragua.

"The Global Studio builds social responsibility from the grass roots up. Four 30-something Seattle architects who donate their services to poor communities in their spare time recently won a major international competition to design a technology hub for a Nairobi-area slum." Click here to read the entire article.

SIDAREC Community Youth Technology Center Schematic Design

After two trips to Kenya and many late nights following, The Global Studio has completed the schematic design for SIDAREC's new Mukuru community resource center.

The Global Studio meets with local partners in Nairobi

Ashley, Eric, Geoff, Stephanie and Matthew at Planning Systems Office in Nairobi




Geoff and Matthew discussing drainage issues with Gordon Schofield (Mechanical & Electrical Engineer) and Eric Kigada (Architect at Planning Systems)



Entrance to Planning Systems Office, Nairobi

Getting the Community Involved

On Saturday, Oct. 11th, we conducted a series of community workshop exercises to get the youth that use the SIDAREC community center involved in the design of their new center. The exercises were designed to allow us to better understand their priorities and sense of space. We called the exercises "Post-It Mapping," "Building with Program Blocks," and "Tech Trading."


"Post-It Mapping"


"Building with Program Blocks"

"Tech Trading"

Headed back to .....

The Global Studio team is planning a return trip on October 10-16th to Nairobi to continue working with SIDAREC and the local architect to move the Mukuru Community Resource Center forward into a more realistic and developed schematic design. After lots of reflection and work with SIDAREC and Architecture for Humanity, we hope to be able to announce our local architect partner very soon. Please stay tuned to hear more about that and our trip in October.

Back from East Africa

We had five really packed days and one day relaxing with giraffe in Nairobi. We interviewed about half dozen local architects and had about half dozen other meetings ranging from US officials that do AIDS related work at the USAID offices housed at the embassy to documentary filmmakers from Austin, TX at an Ethiopian restaurant. The local architects we met with were highly qualified and ran quite a range from a top 10 firm in Africa that had designed many of the skyscrapers in Nairobi to an American who has been working in East Africa for 15 years doing primarily charity type work to a young firm with 2 ½ years experience that also teaches at the University of Nairobi and collaborates with a Herzog and de Meuron studio from the Basel school of architecture, as well as with Harvard’s Graduate School of Design working in Kibera slum. We will be selecting the firm we will be working with by next week. It will truly be a tough choice, but at least we have three excellent options and feel confident that our design will be in good hands. We are scheduled to make a return trip in the middle of October to move the schematic design toward completion.


http://www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/sidarec is home to our project on the Open Architecture Network where we will be updating our design as it progresses. So stay tuned.

Around Nairobi

A view of Nairobi's skyline from above Uhuru Park. Nairobi was founded by the British in 1899 as a simple rail stop linking the Kenyan coast with Uganda. It grew quickly and became the capital of British East Africa in 1907.

Along the road into SIDAREC's Mukuru community center site. It is congested with people on foot and vendors pushed up against the side of the road. It is a highly active environment, even if it is dusty and rough with potholes and cobblestones.

A typical vendor's produce stand along the road to the Mukuru site.

Although a predominantly Christian nation, Kenya has a significant Muslim population due to its history of its coastal access by Arab traders. Much of Mukuru's new population are immigrants and refugees from Somalia.

Manual labor is ubiquitous in Nairobi, even on the busy streets occupied with vehicular traffic.

This bicyclist competes with crowded public transportation for a piece of the road. He is carrying a heavy load for delivery.

Colorful fabrics on the line to dry next to SIDAREC's Pumwani community center.

The door into someone's home next to the Pumwani community center.