Project in Cameroon

In 2012 we worked on a sustainable construction project for two houses in Cameroon. In one of them, already in the completion phase, our job was to supervise the finishes and decoration of the house. Locating local materials such as baked clay brick, local craftsmen for the carpentry and iron work; looking for decorative solutions inspired by the African continent. With on-site monitoring of the finishes based on lime mortar, natural paints or tadelakts; designing the furniture in bathrooms, kitchen and other rooms in collaboration with a local cabinetmaker.

The second house was to be built using earth bricks (BTC) and rammed earth, recovering and reinterpreting traditional Cameroonian construction; an example of contemporary African architecture, respectful of traditional methods but without losing sight of the advantages of current sustainable construction techniques.

We made several sketches inspired by one of the few ancient buildings we were able to visit in the area: the Foumban palace in Bafoussam in north-west Cameroon.

Elements for a Cameroonian decoration

Within a traditional context of ecological and sustainable construction such as earth construction, the challenge was to achieve a contemporary atmosphere without losing the link with the crafts, noble materials such as wood or more humble ones such as bamboo cane or palm. All this following the footsteps of the Bamiléké, an ethnic group whose rich and powerful culture is very present in the western part of Cameroon. For this reason, we did not hesitate to travel along roads, villages and markets in search of the craftsman who would surprise us, of the “chefferies” - chiefdoms - with their incredible roofs, carvings and old fabrics; of the humble traditional houses built in adobe; of the surprising setting of the small shops and street stalls or the charming “salons de coiffure”… Incredible!!!!

The Craftsman's Workshop Paul Tabou, It made us think of what the artist's studios must have been like in Europe at the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century. Simple places, without any comfort or pretension but full of magic, art and creativity. How we would have loved to decorate a house inspired by this Cameroonian artist!

As we mentioned a few months ago on our blog, after Cameroon the project did not continue because working in Africa has its complications and we had to return to Mallorca, but the experience was unforgettable and has helped us to appreciate life on this island; to continue learning and experimenting with what we like most, which is the restoration of old houses, recovering ruins and giving them back their soul.