Architecture promotes development
School Expansion and Renovation by Article 25 in Niger
© Toby Pear
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Article 25, an internationally active non-profit organization for humanitarian architecture, has renovated and expanded a school in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
© Toby Pear
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Niger’s education system faces great challenges. With an average of seven children per woman, the country has the world’s highest birth rate. At the same time, the nation is struggling to keep young people in the school system past the primary level. With the renovation and expansion of Collège Hampaté Bâ, the architects from Article 25 have enabled up to 1200 children to follow the path from primary to secondary education.
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The plans involve the renovation of existing classrooms and the construction of five new teaching buildings with a total of 20 classrooms. Moreover, the grounds have been enhanced with new administrative spaces, a library, an assembly hall and new sanitary facilities. To allow a better response to the erratic provision of municipal utilities, the water and electricity supplies have also been reworked and improved.
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Laterite stone, the main building material, is inexpensive and locally available; it also features a low level of fixed carbon. At this time, the affordable stone is still used far too seldom. Laterite is quarried by hand 10 km outside Niamey and hardens upon contact with air. It offers a thermal mass that will slow heat waste throughout the day and promote a pleasant indoor climate. Furthermore, it is more breathable than the conventional cement blocks currently used everywhere in building projects in Niamey. During this project, local masons have been trained in the use of laterite; their new knowledge can be applied to other jobs in the region. A local program for girls interested in the building trade has also been initiated.
© Toby Pear
© Toby Pear
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In Niamey, daytime temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees in the summer months. As air conditioning is too expensive and is often unreliable, the architects have tried to reduce its use as much as possible. Instead, the buildings have the possibility for passive ventilation as a way to dampen the outdoor temperature and create comfortable spaces for learning and teaching. After measuring temperature data over several months, it has been determined that despite occupancy of up to 40 pupils, the classrooms remain significantly cooler than the outdoor air.
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As roofing, all the classrooms have been covered with a double-roof system developed by Diébédo Francis Kéré, who is this year’s Pritzker Prize winner. The ceilings in the rooms comprise barrel vaulting made of clay bricks. Above them there is a metal framework that in turn raises and bears a roof of corrugated aluminum sheeting. The slope of the roof and the orientation of the building help prevent rainwater from entering the building and also draw air through the vaults. This keeps the warmth from the sun from creeping inside.
Architecture: Article 25
Client: Collège Amadou Hampaté Bâ
Location: Niamey (NE)
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