floating school in Makoko (Lagos) by NLÉ

Architecture has always had the ability to shape how we live our lives and our relationship with the surrounding environment. For the residents of Makoko, Lagos in Nigeria, the threat of flooding is a part of their daily existence, with the July 2012 floods in Nigeria killing 363 people and displacing over 2 million residents. Out of this devastation and the subsequent eviction of residents from slums built on the waterfront, a floating school and a floating town is being created in this water community, designed by NLÉ Architects.

The Makoko Floating School: a floating building prototype for African water communities

According to the architects, ‘pioneer sustainable development in coastal African cities’ 

The Makoko Floating School is built on a flotation platform and is being constructed using local materials.
 A 3-storey high wooden structure with space for rainwater storage, it also features PV cells and a playground and green area on the ground floor, together with two further classrooms on the first and second floor. 

Speaking to architect Kunlé Adeyemi of NLÉ about the design of the floating school, he said that using floating devices meant they were not relying on the total strength of the soil, as the soil around Makoko is particularly loose. He spoke of the adaptability of the design, as the water level changes frequently in the area so they 'wanted a design that would adapt to the changing conditions' and added that the area has now become a public, communal space with the community interested to see materials that they are familiar with used in a different way.

School in Cambodia

 

 

 

 

Sra Pou Vocational School

WHERE:  Sra Pou, Cambodia 

WHEN: 2010 – 2011

WHO:  Finnish architecture firm = Rudanko + Kankkunen 

MATERIALS:  Sun dried mud bricks made from the local red earth

FEATURES:

Hole pattern in the walls = daylight + natural ventilation

Bright and colorful handmade shutters 

Large covered porch creates an = outdoor community room

"The purpose of the vocational training centre is to encourage and teach poor families to earn their own living. The Sra Pou community is one of the unprivileged communities in Cambodia, who have been evicted from their homes in the city to the surrounding countryside. They lack basic infrastructure, decent built environment and secure income. The new vocational school provides professional training and helps the people to start sustainable businesses together. It is also a place for public gathering and democratic decision-making for the whole community."

 

 

+ info

ukumbi NGO

rudanko-kankkunen

SRA POU

Images ©Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen

O-MD: eco lab

Mobile ECO LAB

 

The mobile ECO LAB was built in collaboration with the Hollywood Beautification Team, a grassroots group founded with the mission to restore beauty and integrity to the Hollywood community. Design and construction work was based around a donated cargo truck trailer and cast-offs from film sets. The 8’ x 35’ trailer now travels throughout Los Angeles County to inform K-12 school-aged children about the importance of saving and protecting our planet.

As a working mobile classroom, the ECO LAB provides a base for a range of exhibitions all of which focus on ecology. A multimedia program explaining the "life of a tree" creates a path for discovery that weaves in and out of the space. A working art studio, local artists collaborate with the children to create facade-sized murals replacing graffiti at inner-city schools. School teachers use stage-platforms to discuss each child's role in the importance of planting trees and maintaining a sustainable environment.  Like a circus tent, this mobile icon arrives at the schoolyard where elevated walkways fold down and slide out of the trailer's body. It is immediately recognizable as a place for interaction, discovery and fun.