NDI IFE SECONDARY SCHOOL - KASHITU, ZAMBIA

Project idea

As participants in this architectural competition, our project formally declares its aim to design critical secondary school campus buildings in Kashitu, Zambia, directly addressing the urgent educational crisis in the region where over 1,000 primary school students annually graduate with no secondary school within a 40 km radius for a population of 18,000. This initiative, spearheaded by the Zambian NGO New Renato Community Society in partnership with the Czech NGO Přátelé New Renato and our student group from the Czech Technical University in Prague, seeks to create harmonious and compliant designs that resonate with local customs, climate, and construction regulations, thereby providing essential educational opportunities and fostering community development.

Project description

Our design for the Kashitu Secondary School campus comprehensively addresses the local educational crisis by creating facilities that are both harmonious and compliant. We focused on making our buildings culturally responsive, thoughtfully incorporating elements that resonate with local customs and community life. Environmentally, our design is adaptive to the Kashitu climate, featuring solutions like strategic ventilation to minimize energy use, optimizing natural light, and managing heat. Crucially, we prioritized locally sourced and sustainable materials and construction techniques to ensure cost-effectiveness and community familiarity. All our designs adhere strictly to Zambian building and education regulations, guaranteeing safety and efficiency. Ultimately, our goal was to create a functionally educational environment with appropriate classrooms and facilities, while also ensuring the school can serve as a community-oriented hub for the broader Kashitu population.

Technical information

Our design for the Kashitu Secondary School campus comprehensively tackles the local educational crisis by creating facilities that are both harmonious and compliant. We've focused on delivering essential educational opportunities where they're desperately needed, ensuring the new school seamlessly integrates into the community while meeting all necessary standards.

A significant aspect of our design is its cultural responsiveness and environmental adaptability. We've thoughtfully woven in elements that resonate with local customs and community life, aiming for buildings that feel authentic and welcoming. Environmentally, our approach is perfectly adapted to the Kashitu climate, incorporating solutions like strategic ventilation to minimize energy use, optimizing natural light, and implementing effective heat management strategies.

Crucially, we've heavily emphasized the use of locally sourced and sustainable materials. This includes specifying materials like clay tile roofing, which is durable and regionally appropriate, alongside other readily available local materials suchs as specific types of timber or earth blocks. This focus not only ensures cost-effectiveness and familiarity within the community but also reduces the project's environmental footprint. All facets of our design strictly adhere to Zambian building and education regulations, guaranteeing safety and efficiency. Ultimately, our goal is to create a functionally educational environment with appropriate classrooms and facilities, while also ensuring the school can serve as a community-oriented hub for the broader Kashitu population.

Documentation

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