Fully functional prototype in Ifelodun (Lagos), tested from September 2019 to February 2020 in monitored 6-month field trials with mostly positive findings. Two prototypes of this series continue to be in daily use.
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Implementation of the first batch (10) of improved MDDTs to families, elderly couples and elementary schools in Oworonshoki, Abete Ijora, Amukoko and Ifelodun for the second 6-month field trials, February 2022
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Implementation of the first batch (10) improved MDDTs to families, elderly couples and elementary schools in Oworonshoki, Abete Ijora, Amukoko and Ifelodun for the third 6-month field trials, August 2022
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Implementation of the second batch (another 10) improved MDDTs to families, elderly couples and elementary schools in Oworonshoki, Abete Ijora, Amukoko and Ifelodun for the third 6-month field trials, August 2022
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Implementation of the second batch (another 10) improved MDDTs to families, elderly couples and elementary schools in Oworonshoki, Abete Ijora, Amukoko and Ifelodun for the third 6-month field trials, August 2022
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Beneficiary family in Ifelodun (Lagos) with the project team of phase 3
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Selection process of beneficiary families in the Oworonshoki community for the field trials 2 (November 2021)
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Fully functional prototype in Ifelodun (Lagos), in use since September 2019
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Interface and tanks (improved series)
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Tanks (improved series)
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Construction of improved prototype in Lagos (January 2022)
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Half-industrial prototyping and production with Illig Maschinenbau
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Half-industrial prototyping and production with Illig Maschinenbau
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Design principle
Visualization © Office Uwe Fischer
Design principle
Visualization © Office Uwe Fischer
Design principle
Visualization © Office Uwe Fischer
During construction in Ifelodun (Lagos), September 2019, phase 3
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Inauguration ceremony of prototypes in the Ifelodun community, Lagos, September 2019, phase 3
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Workshop with the Ajeromi-Ifelodun community, Lagos, August 2018, phase 2
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Existing toilets in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun community, Lagos
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Workshop with the Ajeromi-Ifelodun community, Lagos, August 2018, phase 2
Photo © Melissa Acker
Workshop with the Aware community, Addis Abeba, October 2018, phase 2
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Construction of test mock-up with the Aware community, Addis Abeba, October 2018, phase 2
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN
Construction of test mock-up with the Aware community, Addis Abeba, October 2018, phase 2
Photo © FABULOUS URBAN

Mobile Dry Diversion Toilet

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  • Recycling + Purification
  • Urban Developments
  • Research
Location
Lagos, Nigeria
Year
2023
Client
Six families in Ifelodun (Lagos), One family in Abete-Ijora (Lagos), Four families in Oworonshoki (Lagos), Three families in Abete-Ijora (Lagos), Two families in Orile (Lagos), Two families in Sari Iganmu (Lagos), One familiy in Amukoko (Lagos), One elementary school in Amukoko (Lagos), One elementary school in Abete Ojora
Team
Fabienne Hoelzel, Yewande Morris, Olufemi Atibioke, Seun Gbogboade, Aro Ismaila
Design and governance research, phase 1 and 2
Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design
Project lead and project initiation, all phases
Chair of Urban Design, Prof. Fabienne Hoelzel
Industrial design research
Chair of Industrial Design, Prof. Uwe Fischer, phase 1
Industrial design, phase 2 and 3
Office Uwe Fischer
Funding of design research phase until July 2018, phase 1
Baden Württemberg Ministery of Science, Research, and Arts
Funding of design research phase until July 2018, phase 1
Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Environment, Climate, and Energy
Technical consultancy, phase 1
Eawag-Sandec/ Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
Academic partner, phase 2
EiABC Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Community evaluation of test mock-up, phase 2 and 3
Ajeromi-Ifelodun community, Lagos
Community evaluation of test mock-up, phase 2
Aware Community, Addis Abeba
Funding of the Lagos Workshop, August 2018, phase 2
Heinrich Böll Stiftung Nigeria
Academic partner, phase 2
Covenant University, Ogun state, Nigeria
Funding of prototype construction for the field tests, phase 3
Consulate-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Nigeria
Organization of crowdfunding, phase 3
I care for you
Industrial prototyping and production of optimized toilet interface
Illig Maschinenbau, Heilbronn, Germany
Funding of industrial prototyping and optimized toilet interface, and implementation of 20 improved MDDTs, phase 4
Private Swiss Foundation

Half of humanity – 3.6 billion people – live without safely managed sanitation. The Mobile Dry Diversion Toilet is a composting toilet and targets families in low-income areas without sanitation at the household level. As an urban research project and an industrial design research project, it has been developed with a series of partners in research and in development as well as from practice since 2017.

As of March 2023, 21 toilets are in daily use and monitored on a weekly basis, especially with regard to the maintenance and waste disposal process.

Since 2018, in a highly participatory project development, during which the design, aesthetics, construction, and material as well as governance, operation, and maintenance were discussed with selected and interested residents of two communities in Lagos (Nigeria) and Addis Abeba (Ethiopia), two non-functional, locally produced test mock-ups were built.

In 2019, after another research and development phase, two amended and fully functional prototypes were implemented in Lagos. The monitored 6-month field trial with two families in Ifelodun, Lagos, started in September 2019.

The first phase (2017-2018) was funded by the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design, the Baden Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and Art, and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry for Environment, Climate, and Energy. The second phase (2018) was funded by the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design (workshop in Addis Abeba) and the Heinrich-Böll Stiftung Nigeria (workhop in Lagos). The third phase (2018-2019) was made possible by private donations via the Swiss crowdfunding platform "I care for you" (further design development and research in Lagos) and by the Consulate-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos (construction and implementation of two locally produces and fully functional prototypes for the 6-month field trials).

The current ongoing fourth phase has been substantially supported by a Swiss private foundation. In close collaboration with industry partner Illig Maschinenbau an optimized toilet seat was developed. The second and third field trials in Lagos (Nigeria) started in February 2022 and in August 2022, respectively.

In collaboration with local economists we developed a business plan. The goal is to turn MDDT into a local business opportunity as we receive many inquiries from families that wish to purchase a MDDT.

As of 2024, we plan a semi-commercial roll-out of 50 MDDTs in Lagos. Semi-commercial means that families or schools contribute 50 percent of the cost price, whereas the other 50 percent are donated by a private Swiss foundation.

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