New York-based architecture and design firm DXA Studio has revealed its design for a forthcoming orphanage community development in Zambia. Spread across 17 acres, the site will host a variety of programming, including a chapel, school, clinic, homes, and administrative facilities. Known as the NyameNsa Village, the project is slated for completion in the summer of 2020.
The NyameNsa Village will build upon the success of the Village of Hope, Project NyameNsa in Ghana. The four-acre concept has served as a key asset to the nation’s orphan community since it was launched by Devon Leondis in July 2016. The Zambia site will comprise a series of neighborhood spaces developed over two phases. The first phase of construction will include infrastructure and the addition of two pod houses for the children. A chapel crafted in Zambian design tradition, complete with timber frames and a thatched roof, will be added by the end of 2019. The second phase of the project will entail the completion of housing, an elementary school, clinic, and soccer field.
“One of our key missions at DXA is to give back, and since our founding we’ve been working with nonprofits to realize that goal with our work in Haiti and in Africa,” says DXA partner Jordan Rogove. “We believe that thoughtful design has an important role in projects in the developing world. And to that end, we’re thrilled to be part of this effort with Devon and Steve Leondis.”
