The Centre for the Arts is a purpose built artists facility in Kampala, Uganda.

Commissioned by 32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust; a not for profit organisation promoting contemporary East African art and artists, our proposal for the centre was designed to be the home of the Trust, providing studio space and accommodation for artists in residence as well as a gallery, a learning centre, office and a community cafe. Periscope's role included site planning and green infrastructure design.

The centre was designed in close collaboration with the Trust and the community of local artists who use the existing space on a daily basis. From actively exploring the original brief, establishing key themes and project principles, to conducting a series of workshops with the client organisation and artists on site we used dialogue to determine the stakeholders’ aspirations and practical requirements for the project.

The facility was conceived as a campus landscape with courtyard pavilion buildings creating private and calm functional spaces focused on views into the site and to the sky. The pavilions are arranged sympathetically around retained landscape features such as trees, rock outcrops and the natural slopes of the site.

The project was designed to have a minimal impact on the environment (particularly important in this region where modern construction techniques cause high CO2 outputs, mass deforestation and flooding). The primary construction material was planned to be brick, these were to be pressed from earth taken from the site, when arranged in a ‘hit and miss’ pattern, the brick walls create dappled shade and screening from the elements whilst allowing for natural ventilation. Each pavilion had an individual form that responded to it's use and location on the site. Tapered rectangular towers act as funnels for natural daylight while diminishing solar glare and creating passive stack ventilation and a permaculture garden on site provides food for those who live and work at the centre.