zorgho villa

Project Details

Client : Confidential
Location : Zorgho, Burkina Faso
Project Type : Architecture, Interior
Program : Residential, Agricultural
Site Area : 6.62 hectares
Status : Schematic Design

Set within a 6.62-hectare agricultural landscape in Zorgho, this luxury private villa is conceived as a contemporary estate deeply rooted in its natural and cultivated surroundings. The approximately 25,000-square-foot main residence is positioned as the focal point of the site, with its layout shaped by a clear emphasis on human experience, movement, and visual connection to the landscape. Productive farmland surrounds the house, reinforcing privacy while forming an integral part of the daily lived environment.

Arrival is carefully choreographed through a long, winding driveway, establishing a gradual and picturesque sequence that heightens awareness of scale, distance, and setting. This procession allows the landscape to unfold slowly, reinforcing a sense of transition and anticipation before reaching the main residence.

The organization of the house prioritizes comfort, clarity, and orientation. Primary living spaces are arranged to maintain continuous visual relationships with gardens, courtyards, and the surrounding fields, while circulation paths are designed as experiential sequences rather than purely functional corridors. Views, light, and shade inform the placement of rooms, openings, and outdoor spaces, ensuring that daily activities remain visually and physically connected to the landscape.

Architecturally, the villa is defined by a restrained and climate-responsive material palette. White architectural concrete frames establish structure and rhythm, while light gray horizontal brick introduces texture and scale. Antique bronze panels and dark bronze window frames provide warmth and contrast, enriching the tactile and visual experience at close range.

Generous cantilevered decks and projected concrete frames form deep overhangs that create shaded walkways and outdoor rooms throughout the residence. These elements are integral to both environmental performance and lived experience—moderating sunlight and heat while allowing uninterrupted views across the site. Shaded thresholds, terraces, and transitional spaces encourage movement between interior and exterior, reinforcing a constant awareness of climate, landscape, and time of day.

On the upper level, private pocket gardens and outdoor decks are embedded within the building mass, offering intimate retreats and moments of pause. A green roof further enhances views from above while contributing to thermal comfort and reduced heat gain. Together with the surrounding cultivated fields, the landscape functions as an active system—shaping microclimate, enhancing comfort, and strengthening the relationship between architecture, agriculture, and daily life.

The Zorgho Villa is envisioned as a modern rural estate where human experience and environmental responsiveness guide both planning and detail—creating a balanced, immersive living environment that is open yet protected, monumental yet intimate, and deeply connected to its West African context.