Finalist
ARCH Sharing Competition
Kindergarted Rehabilitation in Bolivia
This plan proposes a new and strategic use of space that intentionally separates preschool, primary school and community while integrating the three by means of a central hall and community kitchen. This accessible, multifunctional community space is activated by the large open green space and kitchen, shared by school and community, and serves as a central, safe meeting point for drop off and pick up of the preschool children.
The community space is easily accessible and open, while the preschool and primary school are enclosed with restricted access. With more than 500 children that could benefit from the re-opening of the preschool, my intention is to maximize the existing footprint of the 8,000 sq ft court. By creating a grid of cables hanging from the existing trusses, lightweight, local materials can be wrapped and hung, engaging a different scale, without the need for highly skilled labor.
Three existing classrooms that appear structurally compromised will be demolished and used as fill for two large gabion basket partitions and for drainage around the court. The use of local, renewable materials such as Guadua bamboo and thatch is central to this design, taking into consideration ease of construction, budget and local accessibility.