Walmara Ethiopia Satellite Schools

• firm:

  Antu Design Group (Design Competition)

• location:

  Walmara, Ethiopia

• Budget:

  Phase 1 = $50,000

• Size:

  varies

• phases:

  Concept | SD

• program:

  New pre-school layouts for two existing sites | 4 classrooms | 1 cafeteria |1 kitchen | a corral and vegetable garden | 4 latrines | a covered and uncovered play area.

• Concept:

  Antu Design Group received an Honorable Mention for our submission. Our design was in the top 15 out of hundreds of international submissions. The design was requested by the NGO Abay Ethiopia whose mission in education, health and community support is the basis of our concept. We developed a self-sufficient module for flexibility in growth at any site. We believe that budgeting and scheduling for future growth is simpler with modules when expanding. Our guiding principles were as follows:

  • UN SDGs: The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a call to action by all UN Member States (including Ethiopia and Spain) to “end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives of everyone”. Abay Ethiopia’s mission aligns with the SDG Agenda and our design supports the mission in advancing at least 14 of the 17 GOALS!
  • COMMUNITY: in embracing local culture, vernacular architecture and including the community in construction.
  • FLEXIBILITY: in expansion and the building arrangement.
  • CONSTRUCTABILITY: ensuring materials + systems can be constructed by anyone, are affordable, durable, easy to repair and can be pre-fabricated.
  • SUSTAINABILITY: using strategies that lower embodied energy and are energy independent.