[ Our Dugout Canoe ]
Senegal..
Sunugul..
Our dugout canoe..
‘’Everyone’s in the same boat’’
A narrative which identifies a nation and resembles its community. A statement which asserts oneness as the essence of its identity. A sentiment which continues to cultivate values of unity, wholeness and collectiveness among the people of Senegal. This project aims to nurture, foster and instill the notion of oneness in future generations, for it is only through education and unity that the senegalese youth can rise alongside their nation.
[ Main Courtyard ]
[ Library ]
[ Cafeteria ]
[ Form Generation ]
The tree was a pivotal determinant of the form generation. Project masses were laid around it to en-kindle a space for community and evoke symbolic associations to the ‘’Pencha’’ experience therefore, instigate a sense of purpose in students.The first layer of enclosure is initiated by two curved walls which curate a circular setting that elicits a sense of communion. The second layer of enclosure is articulated through further extension to the communal scape by adding a library and cafeteria. The library is defined by freestanding walls that are directed towards the node to act as its continuation. It also embraces a vertically projected wind-catcher as the building landmark. The cafeteria on the other hand, is designed as a porous structure that extends the view to the neighbouring trees.
Classes constitute the third layer of enclosure. They are divided into two clusters. The first cluster consists of the first five levels whereas the second cluster consists of the two terminal level classes which can also be utilised as vocational classrooms for the community. They are placed in proximity to the project’s main entrance.
An orchard and a coral are placed along the south facade to maximise solar exposure hence, crop productivity. A rainwater collection system is incorporated through the inclination of roofs and the installation of a connected rain gutter which deposits rainwater into a well. The well mechanism is inspired by the Venetian well. In the dry season, the well location is used as social seating.
[ Ground Floor Plan ]
[ Central Node Scenarios | Space for Festivities | Assembly Space | Exhibit Space | Social Space ]
[ Southern Elevation ]
[ Structural Blow Ups ]
The adopted construction technique involves using tires as the foundation to be topped by a load bearing structure made of plastic bottle bricks and a wooden truss roof covered with a metal corrugated sheet. The use of plastic bottles as a construction material is not only resourceful, cheap and sustainable but it is also a proactive call for action to face the dire need for waste management in Senegal. It is an inclusive construction method which capitalizes on the cultural infrastructure of oneness and unity for the broader benefit of Senegal.
[ Section A-A ]
[ Section B-B ]
[ Submitted Posters ]
Co-Designer: Yasmina El Gezeiry
Thank You!
