Ray Katabarwa

This house in Uganda cost $820 per square meter to build, excluding value added tax, back in 2019. It's made of brick, and it's lovely. Kyatiri House is a four-bedroom retirement home near Masindi, designed by Localworks. Heavy brick walls run north to south and split the house into four segments, each with its own use. They also shield it from the low morning and evening sun, so the north and south sides can be mostly glass and the air can move straight through. The finish is simple. Brick walls. A cream terrazzo floor, cast and ground before the walls went up so it has no joins. Eucalyptus panels. A pine ceiling under a metal roof. Nothing is hidden behind paint. This is what building a home with brick properly looks like. The walls divide the house, shade it and finish it, all at once. Localworks has been doing projects like this across Africa. Credit where it's due. Kyatiri, Masindi District, Uganda · Architecture and engineering: Localworks · 2019 · 317 m² · Contractor: ARS Construction · Quantity surveyor: Dudley Kasibante and Partners · Photography: Will Boase Photography