TRIANGLE PRIMARY / A Primary School

in Senegal

2023.06

Kaira Looro International Architecture Competition

Site: Bériou, Senegal

Ket words: public architecture, sustainable architecture Collaborator: Qiongai Cai

The right to education is a fundamental and inherent entitlement for all individuals. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural and southern regions, the majority of schools are unable to provide the necessary services to protect students, ensure their safety, and foster their full potential.

In rural and southern areas of Senegal, school buildings typically consist of a unified structure composed of a series of parallel classrooms, each equipped with an exit leading to the outside. Here, we are reimagining the teacher-student relationship within the classroom environment. During instructional periods, the space should foster concentration and enclosure, allowing students to focus their attention on the teacher. Simultaneously, a school is not merely a place for academic learning but also a setting for social interaction, exploration, and personal growth. Thus, we aspire to create a harmonious fusion of enclosed and open spaces.

In the village of Bériou, Senegal, we propose a school model based on triangular spatial units, designed to accommodate the educational needs of local and neighboring children. Within each triangular space, two boundaries are constructed using rammed earth, while the remaining side features an adaptable and open boundary. By controlling the direction of interaction within the space, we aim to promote a sense of concentration and enclosure during lessons, while encouraging dispersion and openness during breaks. When students face the solid walls, they can engage attentively in their studies, and when the class is over, they can effortlessly turn to face the vastness of the external world, inspiring them to venture beyond the classroom into nature and the community.

Rammed Earth Wall

We employ the technique of continuous rammed earth, where moist soil is filled into prepared molds or wall frames, and then uniformly compacted using ramming tools.

Wooden Columns

Custom-made steel connectors are used to reinforce wooden posts on the rammed earth walls and connect them with beams, establishing a solid foundation.

reinforce the connect

The

Two layers of wooden planks are laid on the beams to serve as the base for the

The iron sheet roof is installed, along with the installation of drainage channels to collect rainwater for reuse.

Fabric

To provide insulation, a layer of fabric is placed between the wooden planks on the roof, effectively lowering the indoor temperature.

2016 - 2017

Construction competitions

Site: Guangzhou, China

Flying Pavilion

The site of the project is a terrace in the department of architecture of south China university of technology. Based on the concept of ecological sharing, we designed it as a space with different possibilities of use as the interface changes.

Folding Show

Based on the topic of the competition, folding-show, we tried to create a flexible streamline connecting indoor and outdoor, to enrich the experience of seeing a small exhibition. We used couple of geometrical flats in different dimensions to embrace the space in a folding way. The pavilion itself became a show of space.

Shape of Mountains