Flor da Manhã Mozambique Pre School

Education is a human right and is a vital element to provide children the knowledge and skills they need to face life challenges and fight poverty. The African proverb that says “it takes an entire village to raise a child” teaches us that children education goes beyond the physical barriers of a classroom, but it implies in terms of social interaction, mutual support and reinforcement of values. However, raising a child also takes a shelter and a decent school infrastructure. The aim of this project is to create a good quality preschool for vulnerable and disabled children. It was essential to study local community, making use of traditional materials and allowing the school to be built by the community itself. The programme includes six classrooms, reaching an area of approximately 735m². The campus is divided into small-scaled different-sized buildings, in order to form a miniature village, around a central courtyard, creating a more welcoming environment for children. Walls are built up of clay bricks, scissors trusses are made of wood and receive metal roofs. The detached roofing provide permanent ventilation and collects rainwater. Multipurpose spaces and classrooms with flexible layout become responsive to different activities, being able to also function as community center. In this way, this project attempts not just to provide a decent physical space for learning, but also a building that can live up to the African proverb, bringing community into the school, while raising brilliant children to form a more socially just community.

Volume Editors

ISBN
978-1-944214-30-2