Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, in Africa’s Sahel region, face poverty, timber scarcity, and environmental degradation due to deforestation and traditional building methods. Most people live in mud huts or earth block homes with timber-based flat roofs, which are no longer sustainable. In response, Development Workshop, a Canadian-French NGO, introduced woodless construction in the 1980s. Using hand-moulded mud bricks to build domed and vaulted roofs—without wood or cement—this technique is affordable, durable, and well-suited to the local climate. The buildings are cooler in the heat, warmer in the cold, and more resistant to collapse and rain damage than traditional homes.
Training began with a few local masons and expanded into formal eight-week courses. Over 720 masons have been trained, supported by manuals and refresher sessions. More than 1,000 woodless buildings have been recorded across the Sahel, used for homes, clinics, mosques, and offices. Construction is labour-intensive, creating jobs and community involvement. Rural homes cost about $110, often reduced by family labour or barter; urban homes cost more due to transport.
Woodless construction empowers communities by reducing reliance on timber, providing employment, and improving housing quality. It offers a low-cost, sustainable model that can benefit other timber-scarce regions worldwide.
