Jurors 01 - Saga

"HOW TO DO A LOT WITH ALMOST NOTHING": THE SAGA COLLECTIVE, BY

Silindokulhe Pre-School

The challenge of the project lies in the implementation of simple and "replicable"
constructive processes so as to give the inhabitants tools so that they themselves are
actors in the development of their neighbourhood. The materials were chosen so that
they could be easily mobilized by the community (pallets, sheet metal, tires, etc.). They
were then efficiently transformed into a solid, sustainable building with "high
architectural quality". Volunteers have been associated with the project throughout its
construction, which has allowed a transfer of knowledge in both directions (much
know-how can be learned from these people who daily build their own environment.)

The roof is made of corrugated iron; gantries from telephone poles and pallet
wood; the walls, floors and joinery are entirely made of pallet wood; the entrance wall
consists of bottles and plywood. Thus, the materials are largely recycled and the
construction techniques of the most efficient. Participatory construction has enabled
the transmission of knowledge in both directions.

"Working together around this project is also a way to create a strong social bond. The
building, even before being completed, quickly became a sort of catalyst for the
neighborhood, becoming both a point of attraction and a subject for debate and
discussion. It was first the curious children who came to look at us, help us, then they
brought back their parents and we were able to share more than just know-how. It is
interesting to trace the history of this relationship and to realize that it is more the
opposite of the "classic" patterns of participation. Here is the act of building that has
been pretext, a pretext for a dialogue, for adjustments, and not the opposite. "

And here is identified the "qualitative leap" of the collective that is important to report,
showing that young people have the tools to defend themselves against destructive
ideologies
Jurors 02 – Wesley degreef
library of muyinga

The first library of Muyinga, part of a future inclusive school for deaf children, in
locally sourced compressed earth blocks, built with a participatory approach

Vernacular inspirations
A thorough study of vernacular architectural practices in Burundi was the basis of the
design of the building. Two months of fieldwork in the region and surrounding
provinces gave us insight in the local materials, techniques and building typologies.
These findings were applied, updated, reinterpreted and framed within the local know-
how and traditions of Muyinga.
A very important element in Burundian (and, generally, African) architecture is the very
present demarcation of property lines. It is a tradition that goes back to tribal practices
of compounding family settlements.

 CEB: “from mother nature”

 Eucalyptus “wood; the strongest, the reddest” - The load bearing beams
that are supporting the roof are made of eucalyptus wood, which is
sustainably harvested in Muramba. Eucalyptus wood renders soil acid and
therefor blocks other vegetation to grow. Eucalyptus is the best solution to
span spaces and use as construction wood, due to its high strengths and
fast growing

 Tiles: “local quality product” - The tiles are made of baked Nyamaso
valley clay. After baking, their color renders beautifully vague pink

 Internal Earth plaster: “simple but sensitive” - was used for its pure and
non-expansive qualities. After some minimal testing with bricks,The earth
plaster is resistent to indoor normal use for a public function.

 Bamboo: “Weaving lamp fixtures” - Local bamboo is not of construction

 Concrete “when it’s the only way out”

The community center’s design evokes local vernacular architecture. It was made a
strong link between the building and its environment and through the material the earth
structure becomes part of the cultural landscape.

The concept is to combine and optimize local techniques with local materials. In this
sense, the strategy is to participate in the evolution and modernization of the local
construction processes without a rupture in the ‘’know how’’ of populations. In Manica
buildings are almost all constructed with earth bricks, so it was also proposed the use
of bricks but in an optimized and contemporary version of this traditional system,
compressed earth block/ CEB, that doesn’t require plaster finishing.

This minimize costs and maintain the main advantage, the use of local earth and its
properties, such as thermal inertia and breathable wall capacity. This technique is also
very easy to learn and diffused by local communities, which will contribute to the local
construction modernization that in the moment is made with fired bricks with low
compressive strength and resistance to water, that requires the protection of cement
plasters and also participates in the increasing deforestation in Mozambique.
Jurors 04 – Mariam Kamara ( )
KOLLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Koungou Zarma is a small village in the district of Kollo, 30 km from Niamey. A major
problem for its inhabitants is the lack of a descent school for their children to attend.
The current elementary school consists of two crumbling adobe structures and three
wood and thatch ones that fall apart every rainy season. Some parents prefer keeping
their children at home rather than have them learn sitting on the mud floor under a roof
that might crumble at any moment.

The 6-classroom project is inspired by this succession of gifts to make its own
contributions that benefit the village as a whole. Rather than walling if off, as is
customary, the school is designed in a way that allows the farmer to still reclaim the
grounds for planting during the rainy season. The classroom blocks are separated
from one another, allowing planting in between, and the new type of compound wall
opens the site up to the farmland all around.

Because one of the programs of the school is to include a series of pea-patch gardens
for the students, rainwater is channelled from the roof into a reservoir, which can be
used during the arid school year to water plants. The reservoir sits underneath an
elliptical congregation space at the centre of the school that will be used for school
assemblies and village gatherings during the off hours.
For a good half of the school-year, the temperatures reach 45 degrees Celsius. In
keeping with this reality, the project will be built with Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs),
which will help cool down the interior and ensure thermal comfort for the students.

Jurors 05 - Orkidstudio ( )
PEAS school

The design process focused on maximising functionality and use of low cost good
quality local materials to create classroom spaces which are conducive to optimised
learning, taking advantage of ample natural daylight and ventilation

NAKURU CHILDREN'S HOME

The local area is widely populated with stone and concrete houses, many of which are
typically left incomplete as their owners struggle to fund the materials to complete each
phase. In response, the new home, known as the St Jerome’s Centre, is made from
earth bags, utilising the large quantities of soil generated from foundation, sanitation
and rainwater storage excavation. The local soil, which has around 20% clay content,
is packed into everyday grain bags and laid like oversized bricks to create deep,
durable walls which also effectively absorb heat from the sun, helping regulate
temperatures during the cooler nights.
 MUTENDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

we designed and constructed a large hall space, which can be divided into three
classrooms plus an office and IT suite, for the Mutende's Harold Mwenge Memorial
Academy. Built in only 7 weeks, this 350m² structure cost only £100/m² and will more
than double the existing study space and enable the school to provide education for
significantly more children in the local area.

SWAWOU GIRLS' SCHOOL

we designed and constructed a large hall space, which can be divided into three
classrooms plus an office and IT suite, for the Mutende's Harold Mwenge Memorial
Academy. Built in only 7 weeks, this 350m² structure cost only £100/m² and will more
than double the existing study space and enable the school to provide education for
significantly more children in the local area.
 MARY'S MEALS' KITCHENS

Meals are provided at school, helping increase the number of children receiving
education and improving their opportunities for a better future.In delivering food to so
many chronically hungry children, each school requires a dedicated food preparation
and cooking area, alongside space to store food supplies. These school kitchens are
central to the daily activity of Mary's Meals and good design and high quality
construction of each kitchen can make a big difference for the teams of local people
working hard to provide a healthy meal day after day.
Jurors 06 - Andrea Tabocchini
Inside Out School

The lack of resources and the site limitations become the opportunity to propose a
sustainable design that merges architecture and landscape: the staggered walls of the
classrooms are built by compacting the local earth, a light wood structure lifts the roof
up, allowing zenithal light into the building, and generates a natural ventilation of the
spaces, while the vegetation of the garden becomes the continuation of the porches,
increasing the shaded spaces to study outdoor. The result is a work that blurs the
boundary between inside and outside, offering an alternative to standard introverted
classrooms and proposing an affordable and easily replicable design that values the
local know-how and pushes its limits.