The housing crisis in Africa, exacerbated by rapid population growth and inadequate infrastructure, demands sustainable and cost-effective construction solutions. This paper presents a research initiative focused on developing low-carbon and affordable housing for rural Uganda, emphasizing the use of locally available materials and innovative construction technologies. A service-learning approach, in collaboration with the non-profit organization I Bambini di Antonio, enables the practical application of research through the design and implementation of Il Villaggio di Antonio, a pilot rural housing project in Uganda. The general research methodology includes an extensive context analysis, the identification of alternative sustainable construction solutions, adaptive comfort-based design for a sustainable rural village model, experimental material testing and the realization of the pilot project. The first three steps have already been developed and are presented in this article, while the additional two phases will serve as validation for the completion of the research. Findings confirm the feasibility of merging traditional and modern sustainable technologies to create replicable, community-driven housing models. Future research will focus on refining construction techniques, expanding real-world applications and assessing the socio-economic benefits of these solutions. Additionally, further investigation will explore the scalability of the proposed model and evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of 3D printing in this context. This study contributes to global discussions on sustainable development by proposing a scalable framework for low-carbon housing in Central and Tropical Africa.