OXABRICK LOKO FOR THE NEW SWISS EMBASSY IN CAMEROON
A new building is being planned for the Swiss embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon, featuring massive walls made of compressed earth blocks. Oxara's earth analysis and mix design development confirmed the viability of the Oxabrick Loko admixture with the local excavation material. The lab scale trials by Oxara in Switzerland are currently being validated at a 1:1 scale on site in Cameroon by the local contractor.
- Location:
- Cameroon
- Date:
- 2023
- Client:
- Swiss Embassy Cameroon, Bundesamt für Bauten
- Architect:
- Caesar Zumthor Architekten, Nord Architekten
- Status:
- Material testing phase
- Used product
- Oxabrick Loko
In Yaoundé, Cameroon, plans are underway for a new Swiss embassy building. The project is planned by Caesar Zumthor Architekten and Nordarchitekten and integrates massive walls constructed with compressed earth blocks. In spring 2023, Oxara undertook an earth analysis using soil directly excavated from the Yaoundé site. The aim was to assess the material's compatibility with our Oxabrick Loko admixture.
*Illustration by Caesar Zumthor Architekten
The results of the earth analysis proved favourable, paving the way for the subsequent development of the Cleanbrick Loko mix design, tailored to the local earth. The developed mix design achieves a promising result - with a 2% Oxabrick Loko dosage, the initial compressive strength doubled.
The lab-scale experiments conducted by Oxara in Switzerland are presently undergoing validation at a 1:1 scale in Cameroon, carried out by the local contractor.
*Image by Caesar Zumthor Architekten
