Informal women's mosque in Senegal

Located in Baghere, a village in southern Senegal, the project rethinks the typological conventions of Islamic mosques. It addresses the exclusion of women, especially young female laborers, from central prayer halls by creating inclusive spaces for spiritual rituals, education, and community activi
Strijp T+R
Sustainability
This project is part of
RE/CRAFT
A2
Piet Hein Eek
Halvemaanstraat 30
5651BP

Entrance fee

Free access

By

Yingjie Liu

Hosted by

Desz
yj1996@uw.edu
2066092770

Opening hours

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Toilets Toilets available
Wheelchair Friendly Partially wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair Friendly Toilet Wheelchair friendly toilet available

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Social and Spatial Strategies

The project challenges the male-dominated hierarchy of traditional mosque typologies by overlaying an orthogonal grid aligned to Mecca upon the marginalized ‘forgotten spaces.’ Positioned next to farmland, the design supports the religious and communal life of female laborers by providing prayer halls, classrooms, and gathering areas. This female-centered spatial network functions as a new type of ‘agora,’ where knowledge-sharing, skills training, and collective empowerment take place. Drawing on the framework of critical regionalism, the design aims to reconfigure gendered spatial dynamics and offer women a tangible platform to renegotiate their socio-religious roles.

Environmental and Material Strategies

Technically, the project emphasizes the integration of local resources and passive environmental responsiveness. Building orientation and strategically arranged openings maximize natural ventilation, while deep overhangs control solar radiation and heat gain, reducing reliance on mechanical cooling systems. Rammed earth and other locally available ecological resources are prioritized for their low embodied energy, minimal transport costs, and reduced carbon emissions. Beyond their environmental benefits, these materials establish a replicable, low-cost construction model that reinforces both sustainability and community self-sufficiency.

Hosted by Yingjie Liu

Yingjie Liu is a PhD Student in Architecture at the University of Washington, specializing in urban sustainability, building energy modeling, and street view image analysis. Her research bridges architectural design and technology, integrating digital twin approaches and computer vision methods to e

Colofon

Architectural Designer
Mingxian Ouyang