Talk:Gando, Burkina Faso

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Africa: Burkina Faso

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Material moved from Diébédo Francis Kéré

The following was moved from Diébédo Francis Kéré, because it does not mention that article subject. BD2412 T 04:47, 21 March 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Extension

The capacity of the primary school built in 2001 soon became too small to meet the rapidly increasing demands. The building had been designed to accommodate 120 students, but by 2007 the number of pupils had reached 300. Therefore, construction of a new building with four classrooms, a school kitchen, a library and a football pitch began in November 2005. This more than doubled the capacity of the primary school, and approximately 700 pupils attend classes today.

The construction of the school extension was designed to suit the hot climate, and to make use of resources available locally. Every morning for a year, the children of Gando brought a stone to the construction site to provide the material for the foundation, showing them how their personal actions could contribute towards a community project.

As with the primary school, the big overhanging tin roof protects the clay walls from sun and rain. The air between ceiling and roof becomes very hot, causing it to rise, and draw cooler air from beneath. In this way, the combination of solar and thermal energy produce air circulation and a cooling effect for the classrooms. The first primary school used a flat roof which was effective, but required a large amount of steel cladding, making it expensive. Therefore, the primary school extension uses a rounded vault roof, which needs fewer steel supports.

The cooler temperatures create much better working conditions, and considerably influence the pupils’ achievements. Today, they have the best academic results in the region.

Library

The library completes the school extension in Gando. In a region with a literacy rate well below the national average of 25%, most pupils’ parents are illiterate and they have no books at home. The library enables pupils to widen their horizons and to gain a deeper understanding of their school subjects and the world around them. It is also open to non-students, and is therefore a valuable resource for the entire community.

The eucalyptus facade around the library creates a calm and open space in which pupils can both study and relax. In Burkina Faso, eucalyptus trees are usually used as firewood since they dry out the soil and only creates a small amount of shade. This is the first time in Gando that eucalyptus wood has been used for construction.

The roof's design also represents a technical innovation: for the first time, traditional clay pots have been cut in half and inserted in the ceiling, letting in light and allowing air to circulate.

Gando Teachers' Housing

The housing situation for the teaching staff in the countryside is an important challenge for the whole country. Teachers often refuse to leave the cities for the countryside, since accommodation is basic and in short supply. Long commutes and bad roads can delay teachers, hampering the education of the pupils. This was a problem for Gando in 2001.

To resolve this problem, teachers’ accommodation was built on the school premises in 2003. The first aim of the teachers’ housing project was to develop an environmentally-friendly and sustainable housing concept, adapted to people's needs and financial situation. The houses had to offer a reasonable amount of comfort in order to attract teachers, and to give them a pleasant working environment.

The housing concept is based on a simple unit built in the traditional style. It can be constructed as a single unit for one person, or as several units which can be combined for families. From the start, the inhabitants of Gando took an active part in every step of this project: they not only observed but also participated in the development of construction techniques. The construction materials consisted exclusively of local resources in order to allow the villagers to adapt or further develop the houses if they wished to.

Climate is a decisive factor in the methods and materials used. Clay walls and the adobe roof keep the houses cool and regulate the room temperature. This technique works so successfully that the houses have acquired the name “wonderful fridges”, a great compliment for a house in Burkina Faso.

National Park of Mali, Bamako

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the independence of Mali, the National Park in Bamako was renovated, gaining a new restaurant, a sports centre and several entrance buildings.

The restaurant is situated on top of a rock formation and is arranged around the different height levels. From this height, the restaurant has views over the National Park and a nearby lake. The building is divided into four sections, each with a different function.

The sports centre uses the same architectural concept as the restaurant. It consists of three pavilions which are arranged around an elliptical playground. The buildings are arranged to produce as much shade as possible both in the playground and the interior recreational areas. The relationship between interior and exterior spaces played a major role in the design.^{[citation needed]}

All the buildings are clad with local natural stone, which reinforces the local identity and saves building costs. The exterior stone walls create isolated interior spaces and regulate interior temperature. The large overhanging roofs provide shade and create a more comfortable inside climate. In certain rooms, such as the dining hall in the restaurant, air-conditioning is used and the gap between the wall and the roof is closed. The project was completed in 2010.