The Earth School
SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KAFOUNTINE, SENEGAL
2022
Our proposal for the new secondary school in Kafountine, Senegal embraces cost efficient local materials arranged in new ways to produce an exciting place for learning, development, and play. Our design envisions a double layered canopy which covers a series of scattered module classrooms, where only light and existing natures peek through. The vocabulary of materials is familiar to the area and includes earth brick, chevron wood, sheet metal, and vegetation. These materials are built up and create beautiful textural effects which change over time. These textures add dynamism rather than the static control of typical block construction. The hope of this proposal is to use local materials in new unique ways to create modules classrooms which respond and connect to the surrounding landscapes.
The roof construction is simple wood framing with repeated members which reflects the playfulness of the classrooms through its shaped coverings. The static frame gets set alive with three vivid shapes made from corrugated metal draped across it providing shade and shelter from rain and sun. Rather than typical thin roofing the sheets appear to be thickened and almost slumping over the frame and then through moments of buildup and peek a boo like flaps they completely transform. The roof would be built first to provide shade, especially during the rainy season, and create a place for assembly and events.
A loose and playful arrangement of classrooms allows for flexible organization, easy construction phasing, and dynamic spaces. Each classroom becomes a tumbling toy spread out under the unifying roofscape. In each phase classrooms can be added as necessary as well as using the same unit of construction for bathrooms and administration spaces. Activities can spread from classroom to communal space and these spaces can drift from inside to outside allowing for different configurations of events and activities ranging from meetings, to dining, to sports. The existing trees take part in the interplay of textures and forms as they peek through the rooftop and slip between the metal clad figures. The spaces around the classrooms and their rooftops allow for zones to garden and play. These can be vital in educating and thinking about food cultivation and working toward food security for everyone in the region. The spaces, textures, and forms strive to contribute to producing a community for learning and engagement filled with delight.
