Antoine HORELLOU

La Voûte Nubienne - (The Nubian Vault)

During the last 9 years, the Association la Voute Nubienne (AVN)has developed and implemented on a significant scale in Burkina Faso, a modern adaptation, simplification, and codification of the ancient Nubian vault roof-building technique (www.lavoutenubienne.org)

This VN technique enables the construction of environmentally sound, well insulated, adobe / earth buildings with roofs which require neither timber nor metal sheeting – hence a valid and significant alternative to traditional flat-roof buildings of the Sahel, and to the more recent use of imported corrugated iron sheeting. The specific adaptations of the original technique include the use of a simple device to define the curvature of the vault, the strict specification of the depth of foundations and the thickness of gable and lateral walls, the use of embedded plastic sheeting in the roof to enhance impermeability to rain, and the speed at which apprentices can learn the technique on-the-job. Examples are given (on the website) of the ways in which standard, modular, house designs can be adapted to specific clients’ needs, and of how the use of earth bricks can be combined with more modern materials such as concrete beams, and cement, where appropriate.

My role is to help the organization to scale up, by defining its social business plan (its vision, objectives & strategy, social business model, a.s.O), and finding means to split the programme widely.

Industry: NGO

Ashoka is the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs—men and women with system changing solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems. Since 1981, we have elected over 1,800 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries.

With our global community, we develop models for collaboration and design infrastructure needed to advance the field of social entrepreneurship and the citizen sector.

Our Fellows inspire others to adopt and spread their innovations - demonstrating to all citizens that they too have the potential to be powerful changemakers.



I was in charge of communication and detection of leading social entrepreneurs in France

Industry: NGO