About Us
Our approach
Kommunities
Centre for Sustainable Housing Development
Katalyst
Centre for Earth & Sustainable Construction
Kalabash
Centre for Scalable Frameworks & Policy Development
Our strategy
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Ideas
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Feasibility
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Proof of Concept
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Series A (Replicate)
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Series B (Scale)
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Market Transformation
Our Projects
Courtyard Apartments Eco-revolution
Zima Homes
mZIMA in Swahili means whole and heathy. We envision a world where the scalable development of sustainable, affordable and gender inclusive urban housing in African Cities is the norm.
We are the pioneers of Africa’s 1st urban courtyard apartment, affordable for the urban workforce and plan to catalyze the transformation of how African cities densify through replication, finance and policy.
Our 1st award winning green certified project delivered 84 homes, majority owned by local Kenyan women. We have developed and demonstrated an impact first, interdisciplinary and data driven design and fund model that drives impact, innovation and design.
Zima Homes is owned and managed by SHOUT.
Tenement Co-living Eco-Reimagination
3*3 Pipeline
The 3×3 Pipeline project is a research effort spearheaded by the Center for Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF), the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, GMAURICH Insights, and the Sustainable Housing Technical group (SHOUT). This study aims to delve into the local economy and property market dynamics of tenements, using Pipeline Estate in Nairobi, Kenya, as a case study. It thoroughly investigates the current alignment of interests that enables the built environment in Pipeline to thrive and examines whether these interests can be redirected to achieve better housing outcomes, particularly in the realm of affordable housing.
As the technical lead, SHOUT’s role involved uniting technical professionals and tools from the built environment to evaluate and quantify the gap between what is planned, built, and possible in Pipeline. The insights gained emphasize that understanding the real estate fundamentals and economics of tenements is crucial for identifying feasible interventions that could enhance the built conditions without jeopardizing the existing economic framework,which is already optimized for both developers and tenants.
This approach shifts away from condemnation and instead seeks to learn from neighborhoods like Pipeline, aiming to rethink the urban housing models necessary for accommodating a thriving African Urban Workforce.
Earth and Sustainable Construction
KATALYST
Katalyst is a social enterprise, piloting, testing, training and advocating for the scalable adoption of earth and sustainable construction in Africa, as a systemic solution to sustainable development.
Katalyst aims to collaboratively catalyze the scalable supply of Earth Eco-Blocks and Earth Eco-Walls which are price-competitive, cement-free, interlocking earth eco- blocks with hollow options, that add strength and/or services. Through digitization and game theory, Katalyst aims to collaboratively enable the integration of sustainability, circularity in the curriculum, and design of TVETS.
Eco–Design and Build
Housing Design and Build Projects
Eco Design & Build is our architectural studio dedicated to creating sustainable, climate‑responsive buildings for SHOUT and mission‑aligned partners. We design with intention — integrating low‑carbon materials, passive design strategies, and deep contextual insight to shape spaces that are resilient, resource‑efficient, and socially grounded. From affordable housing prototypes to community‑centered developments, we bridge research and practice to deliver solutions that are environmentally responsible, economically viable, and culturally resonant.
At Eco Design & Build, sustainability isn’t an add‑on — it’s the foundation of how we imagine, design, and build.
Eco-HOUSING PARTNERSHIPS
AEON Housing, Minneapolis (2024)
Through a Harvard–Aeon Practicum Fellowship, our founder, Etta Madete, supported Aeon’s teams in advancing development proposals, preparing funding applications, and shaping organization‑wide sustainability strategies. As part of this collaboration, she delivered a comprehensive ESG‑aligned analysis mapping Aeon’s organizational structure and full housing portfolio. This partnership expanded the department’s applied research capabilities and reinforced its commitment to climate‑responsive, community‑centered affordable housing solutions.
Reall (2024/2025)
The research and partnerships department has played a key role in advancing research driven, community centered development with Etta Madete as portfolio manager at Reall Limited. In this capacity, she supported the wider team in generating and delivering development values for all stakeholders, ensuring that each project enhances both monetary and non-monetary outcomes for people and the planet, ensuring that every initiative aligns with SHOUT’s mission and long-term impact goals.
FLORAH w/ Reall (2025)
This is Reall’s strategic initiative that sought to identify nature-based, affordable and sustainable solutions to restore viability to the affordable housing projects and sites that have suffered from flood damage now or in the future. The design competition brought together students and fresh graduates, working in teams of 3-5 to brainstorm hypothetical, sustainable, nature-based solutions to existing flood damaged homes of phase 1, three-heights Estate, Kamulu, Nairobi.
