Primary School Xai Xai

Our proposals for a school for vulnerable and disabled children in the Gaza province of Mozambique are based on sustainability and regenerative principles.

The entire building has been designed as a water collector. The central gutter is a fun feature the kids can enjoy by learning about sustainability. During the rainy season rain from the roofs is seen and heard cascading in the gutter. When it is sunny shafts of day light penetrate the covered areas through the gap between the gutter and the eaves. A central covered ‘street’ runs north to south below the gutter that channels rainwater towards a cistern located at bottom end of the site. All spaces can be reached under the canopy ensuring shade in the dry season and protection from rain in the wet season.

The spaces are arranged in a clear diagram that encourages kids to interact with each other and their surroundings. The main hall, covered playground and dining hall are in the center. Classrooms are located at one end and the ancillary spaces, such as kitchens and bathrooms, at the other end near the water cistern. Gaps between the different spaces allow for views through to the garden, orchard and open playground creating vistas and spaces for the kids to play, run and discover.

Construction is modular, simple and repetitive. Walls and roofs are made of compressed earth blocks creating an internal space which makes full use of thermal mass for cooling. A secondary roof ensures the blocks are always shaded. Cross ventilation is provided through windows, perforated block walls and high-level openings. This ensures that the internal temperature is always several degrees lower than the external temperature. Earth blocks are a sustainable and beautiful material which is extremely versatile and can be made in-situ. The blocks are used for the walls and for the roof forming simple modular vaults. The vaults can be constructed quickly using a single section of timber formwork that can be re-used throughout construction.