The Kuwait University Model School by Perkins+Will will provide education for the community’s 700 kindergarten through 12th grade children and some of Kuwait University’s own students. The school’s mission is to research, test and advance teaching modalities as well as to educate students on sustainability, especially with regards to agriculture and the landscape. One of the core principles of the school will be to extend learning into outdoor classrooms to provide more hands-on experiences. The school will at once work to educate future stewards of the land and re-fertilize the desert land.
The school will feature strategies to create micro climates through the use of vegetation, shade, and natural ventilation. A series of green roofs will extend green spaces and provide insulation while nanoclays will work to retain soil moisture. Gray and black-water recycling will irrigate the land and carefully selected vegetation will work to enrich the land and reintroduce native species. Shelterbeds and woodlots will provide both shade and shield the school against desert winds. Finally active gardens, hands-on laboratories, reading terraces and weather stations will be incorporated to create engaging learning spaces for the students. The project is expected to be completed by 2014.
Via WAN
Images ©Perkins+Will
