Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

INITIATIVE RISING STAR SCHOOL BUILDINGS FOR HOPLEY

Ingenieure ohne Grenzen

FUNDRAISING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Claudia Gajda

PHOTOGRAPHS
Kristina Egbers

DESIGN AND SUPERVISION
Kristina Egbers

AREA
2552 m²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Harare, Zimbabwe

PROGRAM / USE / BUILDING FUNCTION
Primary school

CATEGORY
Elementary & Middle School

Text description provided by architect.

The Rising Star School in Hopley, a district of Harare, forms a new center primarily for the children, but also for the adults of the community.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

Founded in 2010 and growing continuously, this primary school becomes a landmark in the vicinity of smaller residential building structures after the completion of the school building.

The expressive appearance of the building through the massive, but - depending on the perspective - filigree architecture is characterized by round arches.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

The lessons take place under the arches and thus form a characteristic feature in the environment of the otherwise uniformly built Zimbabwean schools.

A special feature during the seven construction phases over the last seven years is the everyday coexistence: the children go already to a class of the previously completed phase, while the builders work on the next phase right next door.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

This cooperation shows not only mutual respect but also the acceptance of challenges and continuous support.

It's hard to believe that the new school building is entirely handcrafted. Almost 600,000 bricks were laid by the bricklayers themselves, and only a few technical devices helped with the construction.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

There is no regulated and reliable water and electricity supply here.

This is why the quiet construction site, from which Hopley's new center emerged almost imperceptibly, is no less impressive than the result.

Details of connections and constructions are considered and optimized over the course of the seven-year construction period and finally result in the construction of the two-story part.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

The 14 classrooms are located in three single-story buildings.

The kindergarten is on the ground floor, and the school administration is on the upper floor of the two-story part, which was completed at last.

All classrooms and administration rooms have a pleasant indoor climate thanks to a natural ventilation system on the roof level so that nothing should stand in the way of successful learning and teaching.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers

The construction system consists of 35cm thick walls. The classrooms are separated from the protected walkway by a steel-glass façade.

To the outside, it shields itself with a solid brick wall. The openings inside the façade and the outer wall ensure natural cross ventilation.

A double roof creates a comfortable climate in the classrooms.

Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers


Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
© Kristina Egbers


Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
Site plan 1.1000
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
Floor Plan 1.100


Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
Section double 1.20
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
Section double 1.100
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
Section single 1.20
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
Section single 1.100


Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
East elevation 1.100
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
North elevation 1.100
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
South elevation 1.100
Initiative Rising Star School Buildings For Hopley
East elevation 1.100