The Door of Return Museum of Senegal

Abstract

Door of Return Museum symbolizes a synthesis of environmental building systems (EBS) and extends Senegal's cultural fingerprint along the Atlantic shoreline. Benefits of EBS technologies include ecologic imperatives, coexistence with nature, and transcultural synergies to name a few. Architecturally speaking EBS is the purposeful integration of environmental systems in a harmonious manner that maximizes passive energy solutions to the fullest extent possible. When doing so problems exist both environmental and contextual yet resolutions can be rewarding to the client, community, and most important the end-user. Overcoming problematic challenges maintains sensitivity towards nature, cultural history and vernacular typology. Design methodology mitigates natural systems such as thermal heat transfer, daylight control, natural ventilation and thermal lag prior to incorporating mechanical systems. The paramount result is a contemporary museum that educates via its collection and economized performance systems.