The **A Casa de Jajja **project explores the relationship between affection and architecture as an emancipatory practice. It grew out of research developed as Mariana Montag’s graduation thesis at the School of Architecture and Urbanism of Mackenzie Presbyterian University. This connection of affection emerged through her involvement in the School Project in Kikajjo, a rural village in Uganda, East Africa. There, Mariana met Jajja Imaculate, a strong and faithful 75-year-old woman, grandmother to Rose and Gift. Together, they designed and discussed what a house would look like—a home whose architecture not only shelters Jajja but also serves as an emancipatory practice challenging gender roles, with the construction process conducted through capacity-building workshops for women.
Like Jajja, the women of Kikajjo village care for everyone, but strong women also need to be cared for and return to their inner homes. The female voices of the rural village of Kikajjo are not the only ones left unheard; rural women all over the world serve as a fundamental human force sustaining our system.
The Jajja's House project begins with the prototype in Kikajjo, but it has the potential and intention to be replicated for women and their homes worldwide.
The project's values are:
ACADEMIA VS. REALITY
The project proposes that academia move beyond theoretical and speculative boundaries into practice. The graduation project is a response to a real client and demand, bridging academia and reality—a design studio with the responsibility of getting it right for actual implementation.
HOUSING AND GENDER
The home has always been seen as and delegated to the care of women, especially in rural areas. However, planning and construction have traditionally been delegated to men. The design of the house was developed in collaboration with the user, Jajja, and the research was conducted through a gender lens. The realization of the project—the construction process itself—challenges gender roles through building.
ARCHITECTURE AS PRODUCT VS. ARCHITECTURE AS PROCESS
A house viewed as a product may benefit a single family, but what if the house and its entire design process were approached as a process? We see architecture as a facilitator of exchange and an intensifier of relationships. The house will serve as a construction training school for women, benefiting others throughout the process.
REPLICABILITY AND SCALABILITY
The first prototype is Jajja's House; however, the flexible construction system allows it to be replicated and reinterpreted in other rural areas worldwide with similar climate zones. The project also aims for sustainability and scalability, so that the women involved can continue the effort, forming a cooperative and monetizing the process.
To contribute to the crowdfunding campaign, click here. And learn more about the project here.
This article was written by Romullo Baratto. The translation is powered by AI.
