Boat-Shaped Nueva Esperanza School in Ecuador Was Built With Bamboo, Timber and Straw

Posted By Tafline Laylin On December 31, 2012 @ 9:22 am In Architecture,carousel showcase,gallery,Sustainable Building,Sustainable Materials | No Comments

• Tweet ^[1]
• Share on Tumblr ^[2]
• Email ^[3]

 

^{[4]  [5]}

For the longest time, there was not a single school in Manabí, a remote fishing village in Ecuador, so a group of people led by a devoted teacher decided to do something about it. Eschewing conventional concrete boxes ^[6] that look and feel more like prisons than schools, the village opted for an organic boat-shaped structure made with natural materials ^[7] in order to foster the children's connection to nature.

  ^[5]

Built on pilings on the beach, Nueva Esperanza (which means new hope in Spanish) was constructed in accordance with the community’s longstanding vernacular. A timber base is accentuated with bamboo walls ^[8] and the pitched roof is made with knitted straw or “cade.”

With no shortage of natural ventilation or daylighting ^[9], this lovely space is lined with colorful books, but it doesn’t feel like torture to be inside. Plus, given the location, outdoor education comprises a fundamental part of the curriculum.

The teacher told Architizer that the school, which allows the children to discover whole new worlds that sprout from their inner lives, has become a source of pride and unity for the entire community. And the inspiring boat shape pays respect to their reliance on fishing for sustenance ^[10].

Via Architizer ^[11]

Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building: http://inhabitat.com

URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/boat-shaped-nueva-esperanza-school-in-ecuador-was-built-with-bamboo-timber-and-straw/

URLs in this post:

[1] Tweet: http://twitter.com/share

[2] Share on Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/share

[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/boat-shaped-nueva-esperanza-school-in-ecuador-was-built-with-bamboo-timber-and-straw/

[4]

[5]  : http://inhabitat.com/boat-shaped-nueva-esperanza-school-in-ecuador-was-built-with-bamboo-timber-and-straw/nueva-esperanza-school-by-al-borde-arquitectos-lead2/?extend=1

[6] concrete boxes: http://inhabitat.com/tag/concrete/

[7] natural materials: http://inhabitat.com/bamboo-wing-is-a-sculptural-vietnamese-restaurant-immersed-in-water/

[8] bamboo walls: http://inhabitat.com/beautiful-bamboo-living-houses-take-two-days-to-build/

[9] natural ventilation or daylighting: http://inhabitat.com/tag/natural-ventilation/

[10] reliance on fishing for sustenance: http://inhabitat.com/the-safetynet-sustainable-fishing-net-makes-waves-by-winning-the-james-dyson-award/

[11] Architizer: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/nueva-esperanza-school/48195/#.UOGXaKVTOfQ

Click here to print.