What is the Nubian Vault?
The Nubian Vault is an ancestral construction technique that enables solid vaulted roofs to be built without the use of timber, sheet metal, or cement. Primarily made from an abundant local material - raw earth transformed into mud bricks (adobes) , Nubian Vault buildings can meet the housing needs of both rural and urban areas, offering a sustainable, cost-effective solution adapted to the climatic conditions of the Sahel. Many types of building (houses, schools, community buildings, barns, offices...) can be constructed using Nubian Vaults.
Origins and development
Born over 3,000 years ago in Nubia (present-day Upper Egypt), the Nubian Vault technique enables roofs to be built without formwork, using basic tools and local materials. The oldest vaults still visible are in Luxor. In the 1980s, the NGO Development Workshop identified this technique as a potential solution to housing problems in the Sahel. In 1998, Thomas Granier and Séri Youlou, co-founders of AVN, adapted and simplified the method to facilitate its transmission and appropriation by local populations. Today, the Nubian Vault is both ancestral and innovative, responding to contemporary challenges such as global warming, demography and desertification.
The advantages of the NV technique
The Nubian Vault concept offers many advantages, both for users and for the environment:
Durability
With its thick walls and durable flat roof, a NV family house can be handed down from generation to generation if properly maintained.
Comfort
It offers thermal and acoustic comfort, as well as practicality with a roof terrace that can be used as additional living space.
Ecological
No use of wood or imported materials such as sheet metal or cement, reducing the ecological footprint.
Economical
Costs are greatly reduced thanks to the involvement of beneficiaries providing unskilled labour in the construction process, making the NV technique up to 50% less expensive than common alternatives.
Adapted to the local economy
Materials and labor are sourced locally, fostering a solidarity-based, circular economy within communities.
Easy duplication
The technique is simplified so that it can be adopted by as many people as possible, without the need for complex skills or tools.
The different types of NV buildings that AVN promotes
The Nubian Vault technique is suitable for a wide range of uses:
Standardized Nubian Vault houses for private use in rural areas
Construction of family homes.
Urban
Construction of private houses and community infrastructure.
NV community buildings
Construction of public buildings such as schools, health centers and community infrastructure.
Administrative and commercial
Offices, commercial buildings...