Beyond concrete walls: Meet the women turning timber into Africa's next construction revolution
From left: Joy Mboya, Lilian Beauttah, Zani Gichuki and Esther Segero. These women are turning timber into Kenya's next building breakthrough.
What you need to know:
- Four women are spearheading a revolutionary shift from concrete to sustainable timber construction, challenging traditional building practices.
- Through various ventures, they're proving that wood can be a viable, environmentally-friendly building material despite Kenya's forest conservation concerns.
- Beyond construction, these engineers and architect are reshaping gender dynamics in Kenya's male-dominated building sector.
Timber is not the first material that comes to mind when considering sustainable building in Kenya. While forest restoration remains crucial, given that Kenya's forest cover stood at 8.8 percent as of 2021, research shows that concrete and steel structures have a greater negative impact on the climate than wooden ones. Historically, earth and wood were the primary building materials, and these structures remain common in Kenyan villages today. So, what changed? Four women — three engineers and an architect — are advocating for wood as a sustainable construction option, and they're working to prove its viability.
Joy Mboya - Executive Director, The GoDown Arts Centre
Joy Mboya, the Executive Director at the GoDown Arts Centre, poses with a model of the new GoDown in October 2024.
Joy Mboya was immersed in plans to build a two-billion-shilling complex, dubbed the New GoDown, when Nation interviewed her in 2019. As an architect and former member of Musikly Speaking, an all-female pop group formed in the late 80s, her eclectic career background gives her a unique perspective on what's at stake for Kenya's arts sector and the significance of the new centre.
Five years later, the dream continues to take shape, with adjustments made after Covid-19 interrupted the ground-breaking.
One question that stuck with them was that of sustainable cities and spaces. Sustainability is a multi-faceted idea for the GoDown. They asked themselves: how do people begin to feel a sense of ownership and value around a project?
""One of the ways we know people begin to feel a sense of ownership and value around a project is through inclusion," Joy explains. “They become part of co-visioning, co-designing, and at every phase of this building, you're including people."
The GoDown collaborated with a stakeholder group of about 30 women and girls from the neighbourhood, representing different economic and social backgrounds.
"They were involved in the design of the kind of street that they feel will be safe, will be one where they can invite their friends to come and meet them, where they can linger a little bit longer, where they feel that if I'm feeling a bit tired, I can sit somewhere.”
So they designed that, she explains, adding, “When a woman looks, she looks for the child, she looks for the elderly, she looks for herself. And then in looking for those three, she's definitely catered for the man."
They also thought of sustainability from the lens efficient and effective and sustainable ways of building that would not contribute to the climate crisis.
"We considered using rammed earth, but there are city building codes to consider as well as by laws we needed to adhere to."
The Swedish partner that they work with is an award-winning architectural firm globally for their innovative approach and they brought wood as a sustainable building material to our focus.
Asked about Kenya’s depleting forest cover and what building in timber could potentially mean for this, Joy says:
"I think there needed to be an understanding that commercial forestry for wood products is a very different proposition than general forest cover for a country. So that you separate the two issues. Of course, you want your forest cover to be over a certain baseline. That is good for the country. But at the same time, you can also think about commercial forestry, which is really around very deliberately planting plantations of commercial trees, which you can use for construction and other wood products for furniture, for construction, mouldings and things like that. So those were the conversations that we were having."
As the conversations and networks expanded, they felt they needed a showcase for people to look at so they could prove it was possible.
She admits that it was a long conversation, but they chose to stick to the path they had chosen and see whether there could be some things that could begin to shift and change through the efforts that were being made by this core group that was now expanding in terms of its network, making connections with the UN, the Architectural Association of Kenya, departments of architecture at universities, and with people who actually process timber.
“So it's really future-looking, in a sense, to try and think about this idea of a showcase that begins to prove the possibility of construction with timber and to incentivise for there to be commercial forestry development and for those who are sitting in this timber valley chain to really feel encouraged that there is value here,” she explains.
The GoDown complex was going to be the project to showcase what building in wood could look and feel like.
"The GoDown complex is four floors plus a basement. So a basement and then four floors coming up. And then above the four floors, just in one corner, and this is in the north-eastern corner of the block, there will be a tower block that will emerge. And this tower will be eight floors. And this eight-floor tower, so it's four floors and then eight. The four floors will be concrete. And then the eight above we are projecting to be a timber construction. So it will be now proving the possibility of multi-storey timber construction as well, “she explains.
Joy concludes that while concerns about deforestation are valid, attention must also be paid to the environmental impact of concrete and steel structures.
"We need to be equally concerned about these concrete and steel spaces we're creating and their implications for carbon emissions and climate change."
Zani Gichuki and Lillian Beauttah – Founders Ardhi Na Mbao
Lilian Beauttah (left) and Zani Gichuki, founders of Ardhi na Mbao.
Zani grew up aspiring to become an astronaut, science journalist, or biomedical engineer, but pursued civil engineering at the University of Nairobi. She values the experimental nature of science, and that was the bottom line for her degree choice. Lillian, who once dreamt of becoming a doctor or a physicist, chose civil engineering at the same institution for its career stability.
They might have attended the same university, and graduated only a year apart, but they did not meet until they were both master's students at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Spain, in 2021. During their studies, they lived at the Valldaura Labs located in the Collserola Park forest where they learned how to harvest and process timber.
"We realised the endless possibilities of building with wood and thought, 'Why not try this back home?'" Zani says. These experiences led to the founding of Ardhi Na Mbao in 2022.
Ardhi Na Mbao (Swahili for earth and wood) is committed to the use of rammed earth and mass timber technologies as its primary construction materials.
So what exactly is rammed earth?
"It's basically layers of earth that have been compacted to form a very dense and strong walling element. If you've ever seen someone pouring concrete, they put up formwork, they mix the concrete and they pour it in. Instead of the concrete we have compacted layers of earth," explains Zani.
Their research indicates that construction contributes 37 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. With Kenya's growing urban population increasing housing demand, sustainable building methods become crucial.
"Rammed earth and mass timber offer low carbon emissions and reusability," Lillian notes.
She emphasises the psychological benefits of natural materials: "Research shows that when you incorporate wood and other natural materials in the buildings, it reduces stress and contributes to good mental health. When you bring in these natural materials indoors in terms of exposed wood or exposed rammed earth, it has a positive impact on your mental health or your overall health," she says.
Since its inception, Ardhi Na Mbao has attracted private developers prioritising sustainability, with their first earth projects beginning construction this year. They're also planning to establish a mass timber manufacturing plant.
Zani's September 2024 business trip to Sweden, affirmed to her that they were on the right track.
"Sweden successfully changed public perceptions about timber construction. By showcasing timber buildings, we can raise awareness and create new opportunities in Kenya. This could lead to multi-story timber structures, new industries, and materials."
Both acknowledge facing less discrimination as business owners than as employed engineers.
"It demonstrates the difference when women lead businesses versus working as engineers on someone else's site," Lillian reflects. "People must engage with our expertise directly."
Their vision aims to make sustainable design accessible to every Kenyan. "We want to show that trees can be a resource for development, specifically through sustainable forestry," Lillian emphasises. "This means harvesting mature trees that have peaked in carbon dioxide absorption, not indiscriminate cutting."
Esther Segero - President of the Women in Real Estate Society, Kenya
Esther Segerro at a cross-laminated timber showcase.
Esther Segero's office walls are adorned with art, reflecting her lifelong appreciation for creativity.
Growing up in Kakamega, Kenya, she developed an early love for learning through her mother's tradition of buying Sunday newspapers.
“I started reading about global issues from an early age, from the Israel-Palestine conflict to US politics. It sparked a love for learning and exploring,” she recalls.
Her childhood interests in art, sketching, painting, and guitar playing merged seamlessly with her engineering career.
"Science and art go hand in hand. Art is therapy for me, but engineering gives me the tools to create something concrete," she reflects.
With more than 11 years of experience, Esther champions mass-engineered timber (MET) as a sustainable alternative to conventional materials.
"When you build using timber, you're not just constructing a building—you’re storing carbon and reducing the overall carbon footprint."
Her projects span from urban developments to remote areas like Turkana, where she contributed to the Start-up Lions project.
“I’ve worked with everything from traditional stone and concrete to alternative materials like timber and rammed earth. Sustainability means finding the right solution for both the environment and the community," she emphasises.
Her work proves that alternative materials are not only viable in Kenya but necessary in addressing the environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Confidently, she explains that her passion for sustainability isn’t just theoretical—it’s deeply personal.
“When you use timber, you're giving a second life to a tree. The building becomes a carbon sink, storing carbon that would otherwise contribute to global warming. At the same time, you replant trees, so the cycle continues. It's a beautiful process.”
Her commitment to sustainable building practices was cemented in September 2024 during a study trip to Sweden, a country known for its leadership in environmentally friendly construction. There, she saw first-hand how timber could be used to create durable, aesthetically pleasing structures. "Sweden showed me what’s possible when sustainability is a priority," she says. She returned to Kenya determined to replicate those lessons, advocating for timber as a key material in local construction.
Her current project, a regenerative urban development in Nairobi, is a prime example of her innovative approach. The project, which aims to create a more walkable, eco-friendly urban space, doesn’t use mass-engineered timber yet but significantly reduce material waste and embodied energy.
"We've saved up to 74 percent of embodied energy by using adaptive reuse of the building materials," she proudly shares. The project not only focuses on sustainability but also prioritises community involvement, creating public spaces that encourage walking, cycling, and outdoor activity.
Esther’s also advocates for designing spaces that promote well-being, pointing out that buildings made from timber provide a sense of warmth and comfort that concrete lacks.
"There’s something about walking into a timber structure—it feels alive. It connects you to nature," she says. This holistic approach to sustainability, where both the environment and the people who inhabit the spaces matter, is central to her work.
Despite her successes, she faces significant challenges in shifting Kenya’s construction mind-set. In a country where concrete is often seen as a symbol of wealth and status, persuading developers and homeowners to embrace timber is no small feat.
"We’ve been conditioned to think that concrete equals success, but that’s not true. In fact, Kenya’s history is rich with sustainable building methods—think of rammed earth homes and timber structures," she explains.
But she strongly believes that change is coming, slowly but surely.
"We’re starting to see more interest in sustainable building, especially from younger architects and engineers. People are realising that concrete and steel aren’t the only options." Her goal is to make timber as mainstream in Kenya as it is in Sweden, proving that sustainability can be both affordable and practical.
She is also mindful of the economic realities in Kenya. “We talk about affordable housing, but how do we make it truly affordable? Timber offers an opportunity to reduce costs without sacrificing quality if the timber is sourced and manufactured locally,” she intimates. She sees the potential for mass-engineered timber to revolutionise Kenya’s housing market, making sustainable homes accessible to more people.
As the president of the Women in Real Estate Society (WIRE) Kenya, Esther advocates for women’s representation in construction. Having been one of four women in her engineering class of 40, she actively mentors young female engineers.
"Women are often the end-users of the spaces we design, so it's critical that they have a role in shaping those spaces," she adds. Her leadership in WIRE has helped to increase the visibility of women in Kenya’s real estate and construction sectors, but she knows there’s still a long way to go.
Her vision encompasses a Nairobi where timber buildings reduce the city's carbon footprint while providing beautiful, affordable spaces.
"If Wangari Maathai could plant trees and change the world, we can build with timber and make a lasting impact," she concludes.
