The grid is also integrated by a series of trees and courtyards that distribute the intermediate space into pleasant passages and rest areas. Elegant geometric shapes finished with chopped tiles make up the finishes of the delimitations of these spaces.
The compressed clay blocks that make up its structure form a series of unique vertical vaults. These shapes are closed by means of adjustable wooden lattices, thus allowing natural light and ventilation to enter. Thanks to the porosity of the material and this system, the rooms enjoy a high level of environmental comfort. At the top, the vaults are protected by the installation of corrugated iron sheets.
Description of project by daw office
CEM Kanamar is a secondary school for five hundred students in the city of Thionk Essyl, in southern Senegal. It is the first project to come out of Foundawtion, the foundation created by the studio to meet architectural needs in economically disadvantaged areas.
The programme of needs is conditioned by the principles of a design that guarantees climatic comfort and low-cost construction, which is achieved by making the most of local materials and the potential of the local community. The most abundant material in the region is clay, which is why it becomes the main building material for the project. Clay is a material that works under compression, so creating a covered space with this material posed a challenge that was solved by opting for the geometry of catenary vaults, formed by compressed clay blocks that are manufactured on site.
The school is understood as a system that can be adapted over time; they are modules that can be arranged within a grid, thus allowing the school to grow by building new Awlas as required.
CEM Kamanar Secondary School by daw office. Photograph by Claudia Mauriño
The trees give value to the project, and therefore become organising elements of the project, accompanying the playgrounds/plazas for each school year.
The school has a common building, where the biology classroom, the computer room, the library and the teachers' room are located. The different Awlas, single or double, are located along the grid. In the same school grounds, there is a volleyball and a football pitch.
The space that covers each of the Awlas is enclosed by two wooden lattices that allow lighting and air circulation from north to south. Thanks to this ventilation and the porosity of the clay, the cooling evaporator effect is achieved so that there is no need to resort to mechanical air-conditioning systems. The vaults are covered by a corrugated iron sheet to prevent direct rain from falling on the clay and to provide a shaded air chamber.
