Busibo and Namabaale Teachers’ Villages
- CSFEP Team
- 56m
- 5 min read
Timber Teacher Housing in Uganda: A Scalable Model for Forest-Friendly, Low-Carbon Construction
This case study discusses how Localworks used bio-based construction to reduce embodied carbon by 75% while delivering dignified, durable housing for teachers in Uganda.
At a glance
Project: Busibo and Namabaale Teachers' Villages, Lwengo District, Uganda
Completed: October 2023 and February 2024
Team: Localworks (design + construction), local artisans
Building type: Rural teacher housing
Size: 52 homes, ranging from single-room to multi-room typologies
Key elements: Prefabricated timber frames (EcoPrefab), lime-sawdust bricks, passive design strategies
Lifespan: 50 years (estimated)
Impact
Carbon emissions savings: 75% compared to conventional brick-and-cement housing (EDGE tool estimate)
Carbon stored in timber structure: ~1.5 tonnes/unit
Embodied carbon: ~108 kg CO2e/m2
Forest carbon assumptions: Carbon benefits are linked to regrowth cycles and assume harvested biomass can be regrown within 7-11 years.
Cost Savings: Estimated at 5% compared with traditional block-and-mortar housing. Savings come from material efficiency, reduced construction time, simplified site logistics, and lower long-term maintenance. Additional savings are expected with scale.
Energy performance: Passive design strategies (including cross-ventilation, shading, skylights, and non-toxic, reflective finishes) significantly reduce energy demand. Units are also connected to a bio-digester system.
Maintenance benefits: Durable materials (e.g. pigmented lime plaster that does not require repainting, durable roofing, and modular timber frames that can be extended, repaired, or disassembled) ensure low ongoing maintenance costs.
Other benefits: Local job creation, skills training for local artisans, better teacher retention
Resources
Learn more about the Localworks project
Across Uganda, the lack of teacher housing is a serious challenge. In fact, a 2016 World Bank study identified it as the top concern among educators. So when Uganda-based architecture and construction firm Localworks embarked on a project to build 52 residential units in Busibo and Namabaale in 2023-24, it aimed to reimagine not just the buildings themselves, but Uganda's entire approach to housing essential workers.
Localworks believed that a light-frame, timber system – manufactured off-site and rapidly assembled on location – offered the most sustainable, locally rooted solution. The homes would use abundant local materials such as pine, eucalyptus, lime, and sawdust. They would be designed for comfort and durability in Uganda’s hot-humid climate – with features like shaded verandas, ventilated eaves, and breathable finishes that reflected familiar design sensibilities. Shared spaces and native landscaping would foster resilience and community connection.
The goal was not to reinvent construction, but to shift the baseline toward something more sustainable, replicable, and grounded in local realities.
The result was the EcoPrefab model: a flexible approach for schools, worker housing, or rural health clinics–anywhere that speed, affordability, and climate impact matter. In this project, the model reduced embodied carbon by 75% relative to traditional construction, saved 5% relative to cement-block equivalents (with costs likely to fall further as production scales), created dignified jobs for local artisans, and provided safe housing for essential workers.
Process: Learning through iteration
The project began with a big question: could Ugandan teacher housing be reimagined using local timber and prefabrication? Turning that idea into 52 functioning homes required strategic design, capacity-building for local workers, and iterative learning.
Localworks started by designing a prefabricated timber frame system suited to Uganda’s materials and climate, then trained dozens of local carpenters, masons, and general labourers in new techniques, including timber joinery, assembly, moisture protection, and finishing. Many of these workers had never built with timber or prefabricated systems before. But by the time they moved to the second site, workers from the first site were taking on more responsibility—a clear sign that knowledge transfer was taking hold.
Community and regulatory partnerships also shaped the process. Because Uganda doesn’t have clear regulations for prefabricated timber structures, Localworks engaged local authorities and district engineers early. They used rigorous structural calculations and fire safety strategies to fill gaps in the code and demonstrate compliance with existing safety and planning standards. This pragmatic collaboration helped overcome regulators’ concerns and paved the way for project approval.
Despite several challenges, the process of iterating and learning paid off: both villages are currently completed and occupied–and met goals for carbon, cost, and quality.
Challenges: Sourcing, regulation, skills
As with any innovative project, the teachers’ villages came with their share of challenges. One major hurdle was the limited availability of well-dried, construction-grade timber. Smallholder forestry in Uganda is growing, but consistent supply chains are still underdeveloped. Localworks addressed this challenge by working with a few known suppliers. However, scaling the model will require better infrastructure for drying and treatment, forest certification systems, and improved transport logistics.
The regulatory environment also posed difficulties. Without clear national codes for prefabricated timber construction, approval processes relied heavily on the discretion of local officials. This created some delays and additional risk–and required significant upfront engagement with open-minded officials to build confidence in the system’s safety and performance.
Another challenge was the skills gap. Most local workers had no prior experience with timber or prefabricated systems. Localworks mitigated this challenge by selecting familiar materials and providing hands-on training. However, longer-term scale-up will require deeper investments in vocational education, certification, and small and medium enterprise (SME) support to ensure that skill-building leads to sustained livelihoods.
Technical specifications: Local materials, used in innovative ways, resulted in cost and carbon savings
The project used a combination of local materials and climate-appropriate innovations to achieve its goals.
Structural Timber (pine and eucalyptus) was sourced locally from small-scale holders known to follow sustainable practices. It was treated with boron/borax to make materials safe for future reuse or disposal.
Lime-sawdust bricks were produced from timber mill waste and artificial hydrated lime (a byproduct of welding gas and medical oxygen production). They offer thermal comfort, durability, and reduced embodied carbon. They also help repurpose waste biomass that might otherwise be landfilled or burned.
Lime plaster, pigmented with natural earth tones, created breathable, long-lasting wall finishes that don’t require repainting.
Roofing was made from corrugated iron sheets for durability and ease of replacement.
Floors used a stone-concrete composite for strength and affordability.
Foundations were designed with rubble stone and reinforced concrete beams to minimise cement use for only the most essential elements.
Passive design strategies included cross-ventilation, skylights, and reflective finishes to enhance thermal comfort and reduce energy use. All units were also connected to a bio-digester system, further enhancing environmental performance.
User Experience: Residents report better comfort and health
Teacher residents have so far embraced the homes, reporting improved comfort, health, and a sense of dignity. Results of a more formal post-occupancy survey are pending, but informally, residents report that the homes perform well, are easy to maintain, and build a strong sense of community ownership.
Lessons for scale
Several key insights have emerged from the project:
Affordability must remain the guiding principle. Innovations that perform well but are out of financial reach for most clients won’t deliver climate or forest benefits at scale. Scale will come from developing a grounded, replicable system that delivers real value to users.
Designing for replication is essential. Standardisation and simplicity will enable broader adoption.
Combining new technology with vernacular design ensured impact and uptake. Combining traditional local design with modern EcoPrefab technology allowed Localworks to create environmentally-friendly housing and speed up construction timelines–while also ensuring community acceptance
Safeguards must remain a critical concern. In smaller projects, concerns can be mitigated by sourcing from known smallholders. However, scaling the model will require strengthening certification and traceability in Ugandan plantations and agroforestry.
On-site training alone is not enough. Investments in long-term capacity infrastructure–including vocational training, certification and SME support–are needed to ensure workers can turn skills into secure livelihoods.
A friendly policy environment will be critical for scale. In the pilot scenario, early engagement with local authorities helped overcome the lack of clear regulations for timber construction and prefabricated systems in Uganda. However, to scale the model, Localworks will need to secure regulatory recognition or pre-approval.
Localworks is now exploring how EcoPrefab can be applied to schools and housing across East Africa. The Busibo and Namabaale villages show that the future of construction isn’t just low-carbon—it’s also local, replicable, and already underway.
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