Benga Riverside Residential Community

Kéré Architecture was commissioned with the long-term Benga Riverside Residential Community project. Located on the picturesque banks of the Revúboé and Zambezi rivers, its aim is to introduce a new neighbourhood typology for the growing community of Tete, Mozambique. As various industries continue to invest in the region, there is a growing demand for quality, affordable housing solutions for migrant and local families alike.

The Benga Riverside Residential Community pioneers a new method of planning and building for the residential sector in the area. It fosters an atmosphere of social inclusion among residents of diverse cultural backgrounds as well as ecological symbiosis, with buildings that blend effortlessly with the natural environment. Educational, civic and recreational needs will be supported by a variety of mixed-use public and private functions, including a primary school, sports facilities, a restaurant, a public square, a residents’ clubhouse and up to 100 housing units of different typology. 

Home to a wide range of wildlife and vegetation, Benga Riverside Residential Community celebrates the heritage of its site by preserving elements such as old-growth baobab trees, shrubs and native grasses, which will also help to shade and protect the area from dusty winds. To further establish this new architectural identity, the built interventions will utilise local rock, wood and clay, and will be developed as a high-quality, low maintenance modular system. Private courtyard space, scenic landscape views, passive ventilation and greywater management will also contribute to providing the best sustainable, economic and long-term housing solution for future residents.

While the first housing units, the primary school and nursery of the Benga Riverside Residential Community have been completed, the project as a whole is ongoing.