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Kiwengwa, Tanzania

Situated on an extended sunflower field and near the school, the dormitory can welcome up to 64 children studying in Ikengwa from the nearby villages or from far away.

Simple and cozy, the general aspect of the building is the outcome of the study both local climate, constructive methods and materials, and the necessities and habits of its users.

The children and master bedrooms with the relative service areas are located in the two principal. An almost exclusive use of bricks characterizes the project.

The large, corrugated sheet of the roof, supported by a light timber structure, presents different heights that allow an optimal flow and desirable reuse of rainfall.

About the elevations, a modular repetition of North and South openings allows a uniform illumination and ventilation of the interior spaces during the whole year, respectively, thanks to the sun's typical equatorial path and the use of a well-studied system of cross ventilation.

Surrounded by the sunflower fields, the courtyard is characterized by two small sculptural elements, one concave and the other one convex: an underground amphitheater to the South and a panoramic pyramid to the North, both designed for the recreation and diversion of the children.