Selldorf Architects

The Mwabwindo School

The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa

The Mwabwindo School 

Selldorf Architects

DIRECTOR OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Fabian Bedolla

CONSULTANTS
Renfro Design Group, Richard Renfro, Jenny Stafford

PARTNER IN CHARGE
Sara Lopergolo

PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE
Annabelle Selldorf

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Silman, Nat Oppenheimer

PROJECT MANAGERS
Oliver Link, John Spencer

PROJECT ARCHITECT
David Bench

CLIENTS
14+ Foundation

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

PHOTOGRAPHS
Chosa Mweemba, Hikamata Kapatsa, Yak Films, David Bench

AREA
39000 Ft²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Zambia

CATEGORY
Elementary & Middle School

Text description provided by architect.

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. 

The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa
The Mwabwindo School
© David Bench

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 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.

The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School
© David Bench

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.

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
© Hikamata Kapatsa
The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa
The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba

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.

The Mwabwindo School
© David Bench
The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa

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

The Mwabwindo School
© Yak Films
The Mwabwindo School
© Yak Films
The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa


The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa
The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School
© David Bench
The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School
© David Bench
The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School
© Yak Films


The Mwabwindo School
© Chosa Mweemba
The Mwabwindo School
© Hikamata Kapatsa
The Mwabwindo School
© David Bench
The Mwabwindo School
© Yak Films


The Mwabwindo School
Section


The Mwabwindo School
Site plan
The Mwabwindo School
Floor plan


The Mwabwindo School
Floor plan
The Mwabwindo School
Floor plan
The Mwabwindo School
Floor plan
The Mwabwindo School
Diagram

Selldorf Architects
T +1 212 2199571 F +1 212 9416362
Selldorf Architects
860 Broadway At Union Square, New York, Ny 10003, United States