About SHIFT House

What is Shift House?

SHIFT House is a Green Inn and Living Lab for smart, green, affordable, and sustainable housing and buildings in Africa. It is designed to significantly reduce energy and water consumption, embodied carbon in materials, and long-term operational costs. As a Living Lab, SHIFT House serves as a real-world testing ground for cutting-edge solutions in low-carbon construction, smart automation, renewable energy, and resource-efficient systems. It also provides hands-on training for students and professionals, supports applied research, and prepares the next generation of experts in sustainable design and green construction, driving the development of smart, climate-resilient African cities.

Industrialising Green Affordable Housing in Africa

A future where homes can be bought off the shelf and assembled quickly using climate-smart local materials.

Cooler Homes

Innovative heat management technologies.

Lower Bills

Energy efficiency to reduce your costs.

Less Carbon

Solutions to cut your carbon footprint.

Purified Air

Advanced ventilation and filtration systems.

From Living Lab to Scalable Housing Platform

SHIFT House is more than a demonstration building. It is the foundation of a scalable housing ecosystem connecting research, local manufacturing, diaspora investment, and climate finance to deliver affordable housing across Africa.

What was SHIFT House born from ?

SHIFT House was born from the vision of creating buildings that are not only affordable and functional, but also environmentally responsible. The project develops and demonstrates innovative technologies that reduce construction time, labor costs, energy use, water consumption, and embodied carbon in materials, ultimately lowering long-term operating costs. By innovating across the entire value chain, from design and production of building materials to advanced construction techniques, SHIFT House ensures that smart, green, and affordable housing is practical, scalable, and accessible for communities across Africa.

Goals of the SHIFT House Project

The SHIFT House project was created to redefine how Africa builds, making housing and infrastructure affordable, sustainable, and climate smart. By integrating innovation across the entire building value chain, SHIFT House demonstrates practical solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving quality, affordability, and accessibility.

Our Key Objectives

Affordable, Climate-Smart Housing: Develop scalable solutions for mass housing and infrastructure adapted to the five climate zones of Cameroon and across Africa.
Energy, Water & Carbon Efficiency: Achieve significant reductions in water use, energy demand, and embodied carbon in building materials, leading to lower long-term operating costs.
Value Chain Innovation: Rethink the entire construction process, from innovative design and local material production to prefabricated building techniques, reducing construction time and labour costs while improving quality and reliability at scale.
Innovation Across Building Types: Apply these solutions not only to homes, but also to schools, clinics, and community infrastructure, ensuring impact across all aspects of urban and rural life.
Living Lab & Capacity Building: Operate as a real-world Living Lab for applied research, training students and professionals, and equipping future leaders with skills in sustainable construction and smart city development.
Scalable Impact: Generate data, insights, and tested solutions that can guide mass housing strategies, affordable infrastructure projects, and climate-resilient city planning across Africa.