Construction in Benin: Construction in Benin?

thousand doses of, thousand doses of, already exasperated by the inflation they have suffered in recent years. When we know the frenzy of the Beninese for the construction, we understand that the rise of this building material has enormous consequences on their purchasing power. Other construction materials such as iron are not left out.

Already, construction sites are at a standstill and many of those who plan to start erecting their building soon are abandoning their project, hoping for a hypothetical price drop. The increase in construction costs due to this surge will also have an impact on rental prices., already high for the average Beninese. And, at this pace, many city dwellers with roots in the village may well choose to return home to escape the exorbitant expenses.

This surge in the price of building materials coincides with the awarding of the prize for best architect to Burkinabe Diébédo Francis Kéré. The man, which won the contract for the construction of the new National Assembly of Benin was awarded in large part thanks to its innovations in the field of architecture. His speciality: use local materials to build ecological and less expensive houses.

In the imagination of Beninese, it is not possible to use little or no cement to erect modern buildings. Which is completely false, as shown by the works of this architect who is the pride of his country and of the entire continent. And as Beninese civil engineers have tried to demonstrate who have proven that the use of land, as it is done in the village, gives better results compared to cement. For the Beninese architect, Romarick Atoke, Western architecture is not necessarily adapted to the tropical realities of Africa. “Does a white man cook fufou on his terrace ? It is necessary to be able to adapt foreign expertise to local realities. And that, a local professional is able to design it », he told irawotalents.

In parts of Europe such as France and Spain, earthen construction is coming back, after having disappeared after the Second World War. There are many reasons for this return to old techniques.. First, an earthen house can have a lifespan of several centuries but above all the earth is available in abundance and free as long as you are ready to dig. Ensuite, it is ecological since it does not require transport over long distances unlike cement and iron. According to specialists, an earthen house has much better thermal advantages than concrete, especially when combined with other materials such as straw.

In Benin, there are also specialists who make clay bricks or bricks that require very little cement. From now on the dearness sends us to change the method.

Pierre MATCHOUDO