mozambique preschool
special honorable mention
[Liang Hu, Naomi Ng]
new haven, ct, usa
Amari is a Mozambique preschool student. In the mornings he could enter from any direction, but always chooses to go through the main entrance by the courtyard (8). Staff in the management office on the left waves him hello before going to class everyday (1).
Once he drops his bag near the classroom door, Amari is ready for class (9). Class is fun, but Amari is always curious what is behind the teacher's room (10), he heard in it lives lions. Because each classroom faces a courtyard, he likes to look outside the window to look at trees. His favorite is a tree that bends funny in the orchard (17). It reminds him of a tree near home.
It is lunch time. Amari and friends go to the sinks before they eat (8). This is Amari's favorite spot in summer because there is a fountain screen that cools him down. In the dining room, Amari's favorite seat is a niche in the wall (15). It makes him feel cozy. He can always smell the food being cooked because the kitchen is just one screen away (14), although it makes him hungry.
As he descends into the agriculture court (12), they learn how to farm. Sometimes Amari and friends compete to see who can harvest the largest vegetable that would eventually be used for lunch tomorrow.
Sometimes it rains, especially in spring. This is good for the orchard and agriculture, but rain also trickle through the multifaceted roof into the gutters that also serve structurally as beams. All rainwater is collected into a single closed system under the lifted deck between the dining hall and the orchard. These water serve toilets (5-6), sinks and kitchens.
Sometimes it is sunny, and PV panels on the roof (350sqm) collect solar energy for the school's electricity. The rest is shaded by brise-soleil screens, each panel using leftover construction materials or twigs. Along each clay brick wall are operable screens, which Amari can close to assist with shading, especially for the low winter sun. When it's hot, wind from the coast cools the school down. The roof shape assists the wind flow through and across the school, while vegetation traps particulate matter and is always a good natural shading device.
Classes are over. His brother usually waits in a hammock in the sheltered court (11). Amari cannot wait to go to school again tomorrow.
Once he drops his bag near the classroom door, Amari is ready for class (9). Class is fun, but Amari is always curious what is behind the teacher's room (10), he heard in it lives lions. Because each classroom faces a courtyard, he likes to look outside the window to look at trees. His favorite is a tree that bends funny in the orchard (17). It reminds him of a tree near home.
It is lunch time. Amari and friends go to the sinks before they eat (8). This is Amari's favorite spot in summer because there is a fountain screen that cools him down. In the dining room, Amari's favorite seat is a niche in the wall (15). It makes him feel cozy. He can always smell the food being cooked because the kitchen is just one screen away (14), although it makes him hungry.
As he descends into the agriculture court (12), they learn how to farm. Sometimes Amari and friends compete to see who can harvest the largest vegetable that would eventually be used for lunch tomorrow.
Sometimes it rains, especially in spring. This is good for the orchard and agriculture, but rain also trickle through the multifaceted roof into the gutters that also serve structurally as beams. All rainwater is collected into a single closed system under the lifted deck between the dining hall and the orchard. These water serve toilets (5-6), sinks and kitchens.
Sometimes it is sunny, and PV panels on the roof (350sqm) collect solar energy for the school's electricity. The rest is shaded by brise-soleil screens, each panel using leftover construction materials or twigs. Along each clay brick wall are operable screens, which Amari can close to assist with shading, especially for the low winter sun. When it's hot, wind from the coast cools the school down. The roof shape assists the wind flow through and across the school, while vegetation traps particulate matter and is always a good natural shading device.
Classes are over. His brother usually waits in a hammock in the sheltered court (11). Amari cannot wait to go to school again tomorrow.
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