PROJECT MAKARANTA: A Co-educational boarding secondary school in sub-Saharan Africa

University of Ilorin, Ilorin

Project idea

The central focus of the Site layout is the ‘Ying Yang’ which depicts ‘Study follows Play’. An innovative design approach that incorporates informal outdoor learning into formal education, as a faster means to reach out to the pupils.
It also depicts the continious revolving of planets
around the sun in solar system; with the Outdoor
reading nook (learning is an endless journey) at the
center and learning facilities surrounding it, followed by
administrative,accommodation,&reacreationfacilities. This is synonymous to the nuclear pattern of
settlements in most ancient towns in Africa.
The overhead view shows the concentration of facilities at the region of focus that the design proposal is targeted at. Facilities are zoned with precedence to noise generation and privacy need.
The design proposal is Afrocentric interms of; Contextual Layout, Material Application, Sustainability measures, and Construction methodology. There are sufficient green space for future expansion as the population increases.
“Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave” -Unknown
‘Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you had better be running’ -African Proverb

Project description

The Design Proposal is a Co-educational Boarding Secondary School which will accommo- date a minimum of 750 students on a site of 75 acres.
The tropical region of Sub-Saharan Africa was chosen as the site for the prototype design due to its higher education inaccessibility and lower literacy rate amongst other African regions.
The countries of focus are; Mali, Central African Republic, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Senegal, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, & Benin Republic.
The central focus of the Site layout is the ‘Ying Yang’ which depicts ‘Study follows Play’. An innovative design approach that incorporates informal outdoor learning into formal education, as a faster means to reach out to the pupils.
Modular & Contextual design approach was used in developing each of the design modules. Two alternate local building materials were provided for each building component & finishes due to varying availability of the building materials in the region.
Photovoltaic panels are used as the major source of power. Complete stormwater harvest via Butterfly roofs into the reservoirs for all year round domestic and vegetation purposes.

Technical information

Recent study shows that design of education infrastructure affects learning through three interrelated factors: naturalness (light, air quality), stimulation (complexity, colour), and individualization (flexibility of the learning space).

The region of interest falls within the Sahara Desert (red), the hot semi-arid climate of the Sahel (orange) and the tropical climate of Central & West Africa (blue).
The Sahara region is the hottest, driest, and sunniest place in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa have a distinct rainy season.