Location: Kirehe district, Rwanda
Project year: 2018
Site area: 33 235 m²
In XXI century, we are encountering a rising number of complex humanitarian emergencies which require immediate support. The current refugee crisis in Rwanda is one of them. Due to intensifying conflict in neighbouring countries, the number of refugees continues to rise. This project focuses on refugees from Burundi living in Mahama Refugee Camp located in eastern part of Rwanda, in Kirehe District. The most vulnerable group among them are children, especially those separated from their parents. The lack of adequate care and shortage of qualified care workers is a serious problem in refugee camps. Therefore, the main objective of the project was to propose feasible solutions for limiting the influence of negative social factors on children. These solutions aimed to fulfil basic living needs by creating a space that provides children not only with shelter and education, but also with safety, medical care and a good quality of life.
A new boarding school was placed near the southern part of the camp, in the neighbourhood of the newly built educational facility on the camp site. This way, both schools will be able to collaborate with each other. One of the primary objectives of the project was the ecological approach to design, in the selection of materials, the structural and functional solutions, and the planning of the area around the building. The layout and form of the structures were inspired by the traditional architecture of Rwanda. The main focus of the school layout is the courtyard that serves as a meeting place and recreational area for the users. Circular buildings located on the courtyard were inspired by the vernacular architecture of the country, whereas the rectangular structures surrounding them were influenced by modern architecture,based on traditions of the country. The space around the buildings is an integral part of the whole complex and provides a friendly space for children, in which they can feel safe. In order to ensure the school’s self-sufficiency, the project includes vegetable gardens, as well as the planting of a large number of fruit trees that will partially cover the food requirements of the facility. Besides the nutritional purpose, some of the trees constitute a source of wood for production of furniture and other elements, and many of the fruits and leaves have additional medicinal applications.
The school’s programme includes various classes on traditional crafts, such as imigongo, and will collaborate with organisations to preserve those form of handcraft by providing workshops and lectures. Imigongo is a form of art in Rwanda that was traditionally created by using cow dung to create geometrical patterns on the walls and paint them with natural dyes. The art almost disappeared after the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 but it is now being restored by artists working in the Eastern Province, and is being used to create beautiful tiles, utility goods and textiles. Modern interpretations of geometric patterns were painted on the facades of round buildings to show support for the renewing of traditions of this region.
schwarzplan
site plan
materials
sustainability
main plan
south facade
east facade
north facade
vegetation