The main idea of the Nursery School for Senegal is its integration with the local nature and context the landscape, the materiality, and the interplay of the per-sistent and the changing within.

GENERAL CONCEPT

We propose a space arrangement where facilities and the roof above them create a perimeter with a common court-yard in the centre. The perimeter consists of two spatial entities.

The first one is elongated and linear. It is an entry block consisting of the spaces that are necessary to provide safe-ty, health and wellbeing of children and grownups working with them. Both formally and spatially this is an essen-tial foundation of the place. We enter the nursery school through the passage in the gap this block is forming.

The second entity is modular and can be arranged more freely. It is an educational space itself with classrooms and an easily transformable courtyard area. It is suitable for all kinds of scenarios from regular lessons to performances and workshops. Depending on the number of children, the number of classrooms may vary.

GENERAL STRUCTURE

All the entities of the nursery school are separated from one another structurally, however they are assembled together enclosing the courtyard and their roofs create a dry and shady perimeter around. It allows one to pass to any point needed without going out into the rain or the scorching sun.

All the buildings are organised under metal roof structures, which are separated from the walls with the air gap for ven-tilation and light and have their own load bearing columns system.

1 Office 29m²

2 Infirmary 25m²

3 Restrooms girls 11m²

12 Permaculture gardens

4 Restrooms boys - 11m²

5 Classroom - 30m²*

6 Classroom - 30m²*

7 Classroom - 30m²*

8 Classroom - 30m²*

9 Classroom - 30m²*

10 Dining area

11 Educational play area

* 36-37m² with storage space

Total floor area - 226m²

Total covered area – 499m²

A book is a metaphor of knowledge. And the classroom wall be-comes a metaphor for storing and sharing knowledge.

The walls turn into an open shelf construction bearing the equip-ment for education, progress and growth. Bamboo bookshelves become the primary structure of the classrooms - the walls themselves. They are assembled from local bamboo that may vary in diameter, yet stitched together into a durable structure.

The outer shells are made from fabric with tie dye indigo patterns, which may either represent the class identity, or hold the typical pattern for the local community. The fabric is coated in acrylic var-nish for durability and water resistance. The dyeing and coating of the fabric can be produced by the school children themselves, so they can create their own space.

As kids are in constant movement, growth and change, the pattern of the shelves inside the classrooms can be adjusted according to their needs, as the openings between the shelves and the fabric walls are flexible.

1 Fabric outer shell coated with acrylic varnish

2 Shelf made of multilayer panel

3 Bamboo crossbar

4 Wild bamboo column (3-5 pcs stitched)

5 Steel column D100

6 Roof structure made of reinforcing steel rods

7 Corrugated steel sheet

8 Bamboo substructure D20-30

9 Straw roofing for sound and thermal insulation

10 Drainage gutter

Each unit has its own concrete slab foundation, which is cast in place with the use of local shells and their fragments on the top layer. Being prepared and polished it serves as the floor surface with shell textures. A ramp leads to each unit, which makes the space accessible and safe. The school yard has earthen floors, ex-cept for the central part with the tree, where the sandpit is located.

As we enter the school we walk in between two brick blocks - the office and the infirmary. The peculiar brickwork and filleted edges of the walls are inspired by traditional Senegalese architec-ture. We propose to use local bricks, yet to add indigo blue pigment into the mass.

The roof structure allows gathering the rainwater into the gutter that leads it directly into the sani-tary unit. It stands under the same roof, but a bit aside, to the left from the entrance. The toi-lets contain separate units for boys and girls.

This whole block also has an opening between the wall and the roof for aeration and light, the upper rows of the bricks are laid with gaps for the same reason.

We propose to use simple metal rods to create an outlandish roof structure. The rods are curved by simple hand tools and further welded together into a frame that holds the roof on the spans from 3800 to 5700 mm. Those spans are supported by metal tube columns of 100 mm in diameter. The columns are separated from brick blocks, however they are connected to the classes' bamboo structures.

All the metal elements are coated into an indigo color. The roof layers are corrugated metal sheets, covered with local reed raised on the bamboo frame to form an air gap between organic material and metal for drying. All the rainwater is harvested naturally by the roof inclines, so that every class may have their grey water tank storage.

The main gathering and playing space is the school yard, which again encompasses the concept of change and growth.

A Senegalia Senegal acacia tree in the middle gives shade to any scenario that unfolds in the yard. Under the tree it's a sandpit sur-rounded by a timber bench structure. All the yard furniture may be most compactly accommodated within its perimeter.

The furniture itself is a constructor that may be assembled according to any scenario a little stage with rows for spectators, a gathering space, lunch time, workshops and lessons under the roof or just a free play. The free play is enhanced by ropes and meshes hanging from the class roofs into the yard space.

PERMACULTURE GARDENS

The side spaces between the classes serve as tiny permaculture gardens, layered from south to north from higher foliage sun loving species to lower shaded ones.

We propose to construct them as raised keyhole beds with com-post under the topsoil layer, so the school food waste can go di-rectly into the keyholes and children can benefit from growing their own herbs and plants.