Hikma Community Complex is located in Dandaji, a Hausa village in arid western Niger. Dandaji has a very young population of 3000, low literacy rates, and high economic vulnerability. The local middle school serves children from five surrounding villages. The project is an adaptive-reuse and new construction combination, with an existing mosque renovated and readapted as a library, with study study spaces, additional classrooms, workshop areas in the landscape, completed by a larger new mosque building that better serves the growing village.

 To renovate the old building to its previous glory, the original masons were invited to join the project team. In the process, they learned about adobe-enhancing additives and erosion protection techniques. Instead of the region’s traditional but scarce wood, the interior renovation used metal for study spaces, partitions, stairs and a mezzanine level, as a contemporary touch to a traditional space. The new building in turn re-interprets traditional Hausa mosque organization with contemporary structural support and detailing. 

Most of the project materials are sourced from less than a 5km radius to the site, while the use of concrete is limited to structural elements such as columns and lintels. The project introduced Compressed Earth Bricks (CEB) made with laterite soil found on site, a new material in the area with the advantage of being lower maintenance than adobe, with similar thermal benefits. The thermal mass of the CEBs and natural ventilation keep indoor temperatures comfortable and remove the need for mechanical cooling.