- Francis Kéré’s Lycée Schorge Secondary School Built Using Local Materials In West Africa
- Kéré Architecture designs Lycée Schorge secondary school in Burkina Faso, built using local materials and passive design strategies
- Project: Lycée Schorge Secondary School
- Location:
- Burkina Faso
- Architects:
- Kéré Architecture
- Typology:
- Schools
- Built Area: 1660m²
Following text description provided by the architects*
Located in the third most populated city in Burkina Faso, the Lycée Schorge Secondary School not only sets a new standard for educational excellence in the region, it also provides a source of inspiration by showcasing locally-sourced building materials in an innovative and modern way. The design for the school consists of 9 modules which accommodate a series of classrooms and administration rooms. One of these modules also houses a dental clinic which provides a new source of dental care for the students.
The walls of these modules are made from locally-harvested laterite stone, which, when first extracted from the earth, can be easily cut and shaped into bricks. When the stone is left exposed to the atmosphere above ground, it begins to harden. The material functions really well as a wall system for the classrooms because of its thermal mass capabilities. This, in combination with the unique wind-catching towers and overhanging roofs, lowers the temperature of the interior spaces exponentially.
Another major factor that helps naturally ventilate and illuminate the interiors is a massive undulating ceiling. The wave-like pattern of plaster and concrete components are slightly offset from each other, allowing the interior space to breathe and expel hot stagnant air. The off-white color of the ceiling serves to diffuse and spread around indirect daylight, providing ample illumination during the day while keeping the interior learning space protected from direct solar heat gain.
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