congo basin initiative

Congo Basin Institute (CBI) | Cameroon, Africa Integral Group

VisionBy 2050, over 9 billion people are projected to compete for scarce resources on a planet experiencing the effects of severe climate change. We envision a world that meets its people’s needs for health and nutrition, while developing sustainable economies and preserving the natural diversity of its ecosystems.

MissionTo produce and implement integrative breakthrough solutions that conserve the environment and meet the vital needs of the developing world while supporting global security.

GoalsThe consortium, led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), will create a network of permanent, multidisciplinary enterprises focused on innovative, evidence-based solutions to critical development challenges. The first will be the Congo Basin Institute (CBI) located in Cameroon, Africa, dedicated to developing solutions to the interconnected issues of environmental devastation, human disease and poverty. Concurrently, we will mitigate the lack of in-country research and training opportunities for African students, as well as the efficiency and lack of coordination of current research programs in the region.

View Looking South Across SiteExisting International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Campus


How We WorkTogether with our globally recognized partners, we will create an enterprise that leverages the diverse resources of universities, industry, government, and development organizations. Emphasizing in-country building, the CBI will expand the existing campus of our IITA partner in Nkolbisson, on the outskirts of Yaoundé, Cameroon to include a Research and Education Park that will provide a variety of buildings and resources. This innovative infrastructure will enable rapid scaling up of programs and partners to address emerging development issues, as well as advance project replication in other regions.

View Looking North onto Site Existing International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Campus


Who We AreUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)Centre Pasteur du CamerounCameroon Ministries and Universities

View Looking Southeast Across Site and Existing IITA Campus

Drexel UniversityUniversity of New OrleansUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonCorporate and local NGO partners


Program


I.I.T.A. CAMPUS

EXPERIMENTAL FARM

ENTRANCE

ENTRANCE

PARKING - 63 SPACES

PARKING - 24 SPACES

CONVENT

CONFERENCE, DINING, MEETING

LAB EXTENSION

DISTANCE LEARNINGCENTER

ADMIN. OFFICE

LODGING FACILITIES

DIGITAL LIBRARY/GIS FACILITY

TECH INNOVATION LAB

REPAIR/TRAINING

BORE HOLEBORE HOLE

Existing Buildings

Phase 1 Buildings

Phase 2 Buildings

SITE PLAN 1:750SCALE: NTS NORTH


Site OrientationThe Congo Basin Institute is designed to integrate and expand on the existing IITA buildings and campus to both the east and west. Transforming the IITA campus into a synergistic research campus, the new buildings are strategically located to generate synergistic relationships between the various programs and the researchers, students, and educators who are planned to have access to the campus. The conference center anchors the new phases at the north-east corner of the site. Furthermore, the conference center is designed to act as a gateway to the new campus and as a welcoming area for people as they arrive for conferences, research, and education. Lastly, the design more holistically ties the entire campus together with a series of pathways that support both vehicular and pedestrian circulation.

Phase 1: Aerial ViewView Looking Northwest over Phase 1 of the Congo Basin Institute (CBI)


Phase 1: Campus Gateway and Conference / Dining CenterView Looking South


On the Ground Research and TrainingCentral Africa needs a new generation of experts to help solve regional problems and regional specific training. On the ground research promotes international researchers to establish productive long-term collaborations with African researchers and creates an indigenous generation of solvers. Initial CBI scientific and training programs will focus on four overarching issues facing the region:

• Water and Health• Food Security and Safety• Climate Change• Biodiversity

Phase 1: Left: Learning Center, Right: Conference / Dining Center View Looking West


Investing in the Global FutureThe creation of a permanent campus for the CBI, a regional hub to launch new initiatives and promote scientific advances within the region, is an opportunity for partnerships with the academic, donor, and industrial communities.

Phase 1: Lodging Facilities and Pedestrian Paths View looking Northwest.


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Nkolbisson, Yaoundé, Cameroon:Climate & Conditions

Tropical Weather

• Hot and very humid all year• Temperature fluctuations throughout the year: • Cool season 70-78F (comfortable 75% of time) • Hot season 69-82F (comfortable 50% of time)• Cloudy (Average 88% of the year)• Annual precipitation: 60 Inches (1541 mm)• Predominant westerly winds (1 to 4.7 mph) • Winds from West 11% of year • Winds from Southwest 17% of year

Day & Night

• Equatorial: Sun remains directly overhead most of year• 12 hours of daylight daily• Cooler temperatures at night; possibility of naturally cooling all buildings at night

Ideal Building Orientation: Long facade facing North/South

Optimal PV Angle: Up to 20% tilt towards Southwest


Natural Ventilation - Wind

All of the building designs and typologies are oriented to harness natural ventilation and facilitate cross ventilation. Each building typology utilizes large pivoting doors across the length of the south and north facade. When open, the doors act like a series of gills that capture and draw in breezes which effectively cross ventilate the space.

To further ventilate the spaces, buildings are equipped with a series of large ceiling fans which draw the hot air toward the high ceilings so that it can be pulled out with the cross ventilation.

By the Numbers

• Prevailing Winds From West 11% of year• Prevailing Winds From Southwest 17% of year• Predominant Westerly Winds, between 0.5 and 2.1 m/s (1 to 4.7 mph)• Efficient power production usually occurs at 2 m/s


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Building Material Strategies

• A heavy thermal mass envelope reduces peak daytime temperatures compared to a light mass envelope.

• Buildings which will primarily be used during daytime hours benefit from being situated on the ground and are able to stay below the outdoor air peak temperature compared to elevated buildings.

• Buildings which will primarily be occupied at night such as the lodging will be constructed of a combination of mass materials and light weight materials, balancing the benefits of both material properties. Furthermore, buildings used primarily at night are raised from the ground plane increasing the potential for cross ventilation and adding a sense of security.


Water Collection and Treatment

The Congo Basin Institute (CBI) is designed to be simple, local, and sustainable. The future campus would invest in a variety of passive and active systems that would minimize the burden of collecting and treating water.

Currently, the existing IITA campus gets its fresh water from two on-site bore holes that penetrate deep into the earth, giving access to underground aquifers. However, the site experiences a great deal of rainfall that could be leveraged to meet the water demands as the campus grows and expands in the future.

The current IITA campus utilizes leach fields and septics to handle its waste water. CBI will explore more sustainable and productive methods for waste management and implementation of systems which more holistically treat waste and reclaim the water.

Bore Hole Water Supply


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Energy and Water Heating

The CBI campus will utilize solar panels for hot water heating and other energy demands. This will offset the cost of onsite batteries, which have a limited shelf life due to the climate. Rather, solar panels will charge the batteries of a series of electric vehicles that will be used in place of the current fleet of diesel powered trucks.

The system allows battery back-up if the national electric grid is unreliable or fails.

By the Numbers

• An area of 1,740 square feet is required to implement five 6kW systems• A 6kW system will produce approximately 42,000 kWh per year• A low-energy building uses 5-9 kWh/ft2 per year

Charge BatteryElectric Trucks


Cross Ventilation:The north and south facades are composed of a standardized system of operable doors and windows. The facade opens to a screened in porch and allows for cross ventilation.

Natural Light:Clearstories facing north bring in cool natural light without additional heat gain and help to vent any hot air that has risen in the space.

Thermal Mass:Utilizing materials with a large amount of mass for the walls and floor minimize the diurnal peaks helping to keep the indoor temperature more constant and comfortable. These mass elements can be constructed of rammed earth, concrete, or masonry and allow for local construction methods to dictate the appropriate material.

Solar Radiation

Wind

Roof:The metallic roof has a high albedo which helps to

reject and reflect much of the solar radiation minimizing solar heat gain. The roof is designed to

flush rising hot air from the spaces below.

Solar Panels:The roof is designed for a large solar array that would give the campus a

source of clean energy and help to ride out the periodic brown outs.

DINING AREA

CONFERENCE ROOM

ENTRY COURTSection through Conference Center and Dining AreaA large lecture room, two meeting rooms, kitchen, restrooms, and dining area are located under one large roof canopy. The roof canopy protects the various programs from rain and direct solar radiation. Furthermore, a series of solar panels is situated at an optimum angle on the roof. The roof is designed to reflect solar radiation while at the same time allow cool northern light to penetrate to the deeper spaces.

The spaces are hyper flexible to allow for maximum reconfiguration in support of a large variety of functions and programs. Both the large lecture room and the two meeting rooms feature pivot doors that allow for natural ventilation and flexibility, connecting the open dining area and the meeting rooms.


Ventilated Roof System:A corrugated metal roof is situated above the

insulating roof with a ventilated air gap inbetween. Through cross ventilation the cavity is flushed and heat gain to the interior from the sun is minimized. The roof is designed to protect and shade all mass elements and openings from any

direct heat gain.


Natural Light:Clearstories facing north bring in cool natural light without additional heat gain and help to vent any hot air that has risen in the space.


Solar Radiation

Wind

Section through Learning CenterThe construction typology used for the Learning Center will be implemented for other buildings and programs, including technical training, equipment repair facilities, remote sensing research facilities, research and training labs, molecular and genetic laboratories, and administrative offices.

The construction techniques employed for the distance learning center allow the building to function passively by taking advantage of the cross ventilation and limiting any direct and indirect heat gain from solar radiation. Furthermore, the building strategy is designed to efficiently utilize mechanical cooling as required.


Ventilated Roof System:A corrugated metal roof is situated above the insulating roof with a ventilated air gap inbetween. Through cross ventilation the cavity is flushed and heat gain to the interior from the sun is minimized. The roof is designed to protect and shade all mass elements and openings from any direct heat gain.



Solar Radiation

Wind

Raised Slab:The slab of the housing is raised off the ground plane for maximum ventilation, increased security, and heightened views to the mountains and farming just south of the housing.

Bathroom

Screen Porch

Collaborative Work Area:Capping either the west or east facade of each housing aggregate is a collaborative work area for the residents to have impromptu working sessions.

Section through LodgingThe lodging is lifted from ground plane to increase ventilation during the primary hours of use at night while sleeping. Furthermore, lifting the lodging creates an additional sense of security. The mass utilized to create the roof and demising walls between individual units provides an excellent acoustic barrier between units, provides a foundation for the overall structure, and helps to stabilize the overall temperature of the spaces.


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