Prototype of sustainable, modular & lowcost school
Valentino Gareri Atelier is a Sydney based architectural practice and currently involved in several projects throughout the world.
Our architecture emerges out of a careful analysis of how contemporary life constantly evolves and changes. In our projects, we carefully consider local constraints, climate and sustainable aspects, local traditions and relationship with the surrounding context to provide, with our design proposal, the answer that performs best in that specific site of the planet.
Prototype of modular school for Africa
The prototype of a modular school for sub-Saharan regions provides a sustainable, modular and flexible school, easy to build, with low costs of construction and made by local materials which perfectly adapts with the context and surrounding.
The modules are made of local materials and construction techniques.
The classrooms are modules of 44m2 and contain storage to allow a flexible use of the space, replacing desks with beds or providing an empty room for flexible activities. Corridors are flexible spaces that can be used for extra activities, and the internal courtyard can be used as an extension of the didactic spaces.
The school is surrounded by modular elements with a triangular geometry. They have structural function and provide support for the roof. Each element contains a planter-box where vegetation can grow and, through wire trellis, spread out on top of the roof providing a sustainable sunshade and reducing the building heating. Photovoltaic and solar panels can be installed on top of each triangular module. These elements work also as rain-water collectors. Under each planter-box there is 1m3 water tank (traditional local tanks can be used).
The rain-water can be reused for the vegetation irrigation and for the pre-school needs (toilets and kitchen).
The triangular shape is the best to provide these functions and sunshade protection while still allowing daylight to come into the classrooms. It also draws inspiration from the local art patterns and vernacular architecture.
The modular nature of the proposal allows for future school extensions by adding one or more modules.
Moreover each module is a prototype of a sustainable and self-energy efficient component which can be adopted also for different functions, such as medical centers, workshops and temporary accommodations for teachers and doctors.