In the Spring of 2014, a studio of ten MIT architecture students, called the Unmaterial Studio (led by visiting faculty, Jose Selgas), researched and proposed to design an education and vaccination center for the Turkana people in northwest Kenya.  This project was built in the summer of 2014 by who would end up becoming the 3 founding members of our helloeverything.

The Turkana, with a population of nearly 1 million, are a semi-nomadic people largely untouched by contemporary civilization.  They survive through shepherding on the semi-arid land, living pastorally in a way that relies on thousands of years of knowledge and tradition.

As with many regions like Turkana, issues with climate and politics have required varying degrees of develop-mental aid.  Architectural practices for this type of development typically rely on westernized designs and building methodologies that are often executed at a physical and cultural distance from the people who use them.

The Unmaterial Studio, formulated ways of designing within these cultures that re-evaluate our cultural assumptions and use architecture and construction processes to learn from and collaborate with the local community.  The process of design was able to turn otherwise conventional or utilitarian pursuits into unique spaces specific to a community, connecting with and providing a meaningful sense of ownership to its people.