The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects

The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior PhotographyThe Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior PhotographyThe Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Interior Photography, BrickThe Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior Photography, ConcreteThe Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - More Images+ 27

  • Principal In Charge: Annabelle Selldorf
  • Partner In Charge: Sara Lopergolo
  • Project Managers: Oliver Link, John Spencer
  • Project Architect: David Bench
  • Project Team: Michael Baskett, Laura Bown, Ger Brennen, Jonathan Chesley, Dionisio Cortes-Ortega, Jeanie Fan, Sondra Fein, Mary Hohlt, James Jarzyniecki, Jaehyun Lee, Kristine Makwinski, Jonathan Pohl, Zachary Rousou, Cillian Sheehan, Molly White
  • Director Of Design And Construction: Fabian Bedolla
  • Clients: 14+ Foundation
  • Country: Zambia
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The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior Photography
© Chosa Mweemba

Text description provided by the architects. The Mwabwindo School serves primary students in southern Zambia, located in a rural area where travel distance to school is one of the biggest impediments to quality education. This is the second school in the region developed by the 14+ Foundation, a non-profit committed to increasing education accessibility for rural African communities. 

The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior Photography
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Image 26 of 32
Site plan
The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior Photography, Concrete
© Chosa Mweemba

The building’s design is inspired by the tall, singular trees on the surrounding savanna that serve as gathering spaces shaded from the sun of the Central African Plateau. A large, corrugated metal roof canopy covers a village of compressed earth brick classrooms arranged around courtyards and an internal street. In addition to the school for 200 students, the program includes a building that provides housing for eight teachers, a community vegetable garden and playing fields.

The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Interior Photography, Brick
© Chosa Mweemba

A covered assembly space is left open to the local road, marking the entrance and welcoming students. In addition to serving as the school lunch hall it is a resource for local civic gatherings.

The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Interior Photography, Brick
© Hikamata Kapatsa

The steel structure and roof were assembled on-site by skilled labor and were constructed first, allowing the building process to continue during the three-month rainy system. Compressed earth brick classrooms are comprised of handmade bricks which were fabricated on-site and constructed by local masons to provide employment and training opportunity in the area. Throughout this net-zero project, rainwater is collected for use in the community gardens, solar panels provide energy for the school and teachers’ housing, and a windmill pumps well water to the facilities. 

The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Interior Photography
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Image 28 of 32
Section
The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Interior Photography, Windows
© Chosa Mweemba

The Mwabwindo School provides an inspired place for learning, promotes sustainable resource use, and acts as an economic engine in southern Zambia.

The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects - Exterior Photography
© Yak Films

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Project location

Address:Zambia

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "The Mwabwindo School / Selldorf Architects" 25 Mar 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/936240/the-mwabwindo-school-selldorf-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

© Chosa Mweemba

赞比亚学校 Mwabwindo,钢构波纹通风屋顶 / Selldorf Architects

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