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Artworks
John McAslan RSA
Malawitimber, acrylic and metal model102 x 31 x 33.5 cmFurther images
John McAslan + Partners, working in partnership with Arup and the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative, has developed a series of low cost and environmentally passive school buildings as part of...John McAslan + Partners, working in partnership with Arup and the Clinton Hunter Development Initiative, has developed a series of low cost and environmentally passive school buildings as part of the Malawi government’s commitment to develop high quality free primary education for all children.
Developed in consultation with local communities, the final design aspires to provide high quality teaching environments that are sensitive to social and environmental factors, but also within the constraints of the Malawi government’s current low-cost school model. The inclusion of community terraces within the school buildings, to be used by the local villages for activities such as community meetings, health worker visits and adult learning, has been pivotal to the success of the project.
The initial target to provide 10 buildings across three sites has recently been achieved: each classroom block costing in the region of $20,000. Having established the acceptance of the design with local users, and demonstrated improved performance relative to the existing schools, the team is now developing a refined model for future schools.
