Basuna Mosque

13359
Last modified by the author on 07/05/2020 - 15:52
  • Building Type : Other building
  • Construction Year : 2016
  • Delivery year : 2019
  • Address 1 - street : Downtown Basuna 1234 SOHAG, Other countries
  • Climate zone : [BWh] Subtropical dry arid

  • Net Floor Area : 472 m2
  • Construction/refurbishment cost : 300 000 €
  • Number of none : 1 none
  • Cost/m2 : 635.59 €/m2
  • Primary energy need
    1 kWhpe/m2.year
    (Calculation method : )
Energy consumption
Economical buildingBuilding
< 50A
A
51 à 90B
B
91 à 150C
C
151 à 230D
D
231 à 330E
E
331 à 450F
F
> 450G
G
Energy-intensive building

The Basuna Mosque won the Energy & Hot Climates Award of the 2019 Green Solutions Awards et the Egypt level and a mention  for the international Energy & Hot Climates Award.


The Basuna Mosque is located in the hot & arid village of Basuna, Sohag, Egypt, over a site amidst a noisy, dusty and densely constructed area with encroaching residential buildings, a cemetery, cattle frequently moving back and forth on the road and a weekly makeshift small market right outside the main entrance of this place of worship posed a major challenge. The new building must offer peace and tranquillity for its users and so a few requirements had to be met.
The solution depends on a cavity-wall with only one window, overlooking the calm cemetery, covered with a hybrid roof system; consisting of a concrete beam gridiron, cast in situ, forming a central square (6.0x6.0m) covered with a main dome, and 108 smaller square openings (0.82 x 0.82m) partially covered using pendentive-domes, complemented with fixed horizontal and operable  vertical glass panels allowing fresh high-altitude northern breeze to filter into the mosque, indirect glare-less sunlight to naturally illuminate the interior, and rain-water to be collected and used for cleaning and watering plants.

The main dome was constructed using an Egyptian-made light block made of sand, lime and air, with a density of 0.5 ton/m3, thermal conductivity 0.136-0.132 W/m2.°K, fire rating (relative to thickness) 4-7 hours, sound insulation (dB) 37-48. The remarkable lightness of the block decreased the building’s own-weight, in turn decreasing the required dimensions of all reinforced concrete elements. Its dimensions (100x200x600 mm) were perfect for introducing an original aesthetic, serving the conceptual scheme of the mosque, through employing a special cutting list and a simple staggered tessellation. I had to devise a special steel compass to guarantee the meticulous spatial positioning of every single block regardless of a mason’s skills and accuracy. 

Pendentive-domes are a known structural element, traditionally used to facilitate the transition from square to octagonal plans to finally receive the circular plan of a dome.
In the Basuna Mosque, this element was reimagined as an independent unit, with innovated functions; structurally as a roof system, environmentally as a wind-catcher and skylight, and aesthetically as an independent geometrical object, appreciated both from the interior and the exterior. 

The entrance dome references the historical dome of the Cordoba Grand Mosque. It serves as a reminder of the rich potential of historical architecture in both the architectural discourse and construction innovations.

There are 4 entrances to the building, two of which could be made accessible for worshippers with special needs, once the roads and infra-structure of the village allows for free and independent movement of people with special needs. 

The multi-use hall is designed to accommodate seasonal increases in the numbers of worshippers, of both genders, during Fridays and the Holy month of Ramadan, as well as serving an array of purposes all year round; temporary medical clinics, after-school and literacy tuition classes, etc...This brings back to mind the original all-inclusive function of the mosque, not only as a place for ritualistic worship but as a service center for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Photo credit

Essam Arafa, Waleed Arafa, Tariq Al Murri

Contractor

Construction Manager

Stakeholders

    Others

    Hisham Negm + Ahmed alHadary Amr Haggag Waleed Samir + Bishoy Nagy

    Engineering

Contracting method

Other methods

Energy consumption

  • 1,00 kWhpe/m2.year
  • 1,00 kWhpe/m2.year

Systems

    • No heating system
    • Solar Thermal
    • No cooling system
    • Natural ventilation
    • Solar Thermal

    Rain-water to be collected and used for cleaning and watering plants.

Urban environment

    The Basuna Mosque is located in the hot & arid village of Basuna, Sohag, Egypt, over a site amidst a noisy, dusty and densely constructed area with encroaching residential buildings, a cemetery, cattle frequently moving back and forth on the road and a weekly makeshift small market right outside the main entrance of this place of worship posed a major challenge. The new building must offer peace and tranquillity for its users and so a few requirements had to be met.

  • 450,00 m2
  • 300,00 %
  • 150,00

Product

    DeltaBlock

    Plena Egypt

    Essam Samy +201272523375 +201228429253

     http://plenaegypt.com

    Gros œuvre / Structure, maçonnerie, façade

    Light sand/lime block

    This is an incredibly sustainable product with high performance in both acoustic and thermal insulation and fire resistance.

Construction and exploitation costs

  • 10 000
  • 300 000

Life Cycle Analysis

    All the materials were sourced to complement the environmentally sensitive approach governing the entire scheme.
    The architects used local materials for the construction, including a building block made of sand and limestone. According to Dar Arafa, the block's lightness decreases the building's weight, which in turn reduces the required dimensions of all reinforced concrete elements. 

Indoor Air quality

    The decision to open the space mainly upwards, allowing the cavity walls to function as insulation, suggests a densely-populated village which is both hot and dusty, with residential buildings next to the monument, a cemetery, and small improvised weekly market just outside the main entrance, with livestock often moving up and down the road.

Building candidate in the category

Energy & Hot Climates

Energy & Hot Climates

Users' Choice

Users' Choice

Green Solutions Awards 2019 - Buildings
PDF
 Green Solutions Awards Winner Energy & Hot Climate Prize

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Author of the page

Waleed Arafa


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Green Solutions Awards 2019 - Buildings