The city of Kafountine, in Senegal, is the scenario for an ecological school built with the cheapest local material: earth. The Earth School will be a generous social space destined to 400 students between the ages of 12 and 16. It will be a rational and modular building to allow the local workers to build it with their own hands, and doing so, it will generate jobs and strength the community.
The general conception englobes a big courtyard where the recreational activities will take place, including the sports court and the iconic symbol of a human footprint, formed by tires and vegetation. A cheap way to mention the Kakolum NGO’s symbol: the footprint. Kakolum means “the footprint that is left when walking on the ground”. Therefore, this human footprint represents the NGO and the ecological approach of this project, which starts with the preservation of existing trees, plant new ones, and rise the building with the local earth.
To build with earth it’s not a simple task if you don’t have the necessary knowledge to guarantee that it’s going to be structurally safe enough to keep the building standing without cracks and other pathologies. Here we are proposing a mix of earth, water and cement to create a block of two holes that can be assembled without mortar and allows the insertion of steel bars to reinforce the structure when necessary, especially in the corners. The reinforced hole can be filled with cement or concrete to make little columns at the corners of the building.
This earth brick that also can be understood like a type of clay block, can be assembled with some openings to provide natural ventilation and lighting. Other natural solutions are being adopted, as the bamboo doors and the roof wood framing made by Chevron wood, taking advantage of the local wood available in location. The roof sheathing will be composed by zinc sheets to guarantee durability.
This sustainable and economical approach will foster the educational system in Senegal, with firm steps of whom that wants to leave the green footprint in the world.