Kwieco Shelter House

The Finnish architects Hollmén Reuter Sandman completed in Moshi, Tanzania, a Shelter House for an NGO that provide advice to women, respecting local culture and spatial hierarchy.

Designed by Hollmén Reuter Sandman Architects in Moshi, Tanzania, the Shelter House has been commissioned by the Kilimanjaro Women Information Exchange and Consultancy Organization (KWIECO), founded in 1987 to provide advice on legal, health, social and economic issues to women.

KWIECO has outlined a project to develop the concept of, and eventually found, a Shelter House. Together with Ukumbi NGO, KWIECO introduced the project to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and was awarded funds for setting up the necessary operations and infrastructure for the first phase. The completion time for the construction of the first phase is May 2015. Ukumbi and KWIECO are currently trying to raise funds for the second and final phase.

The architecture of the Shelter House respects local culture and spatial hierarchy. Local materials, renewable energies, local manpower and know-how are used, as well as participatory planning. to ensure that users have a sense of mental ownership in the shelter. The Shelter House will also host new facilities for KWIECO, to ensure and stabilise its operations.