mozambique preschool

Location: Xai-Xai District, Gaza Province, Mozambique
Type: Educational - Preschool and Landscape, Ground Up
Status: International Competition, 2019
Size: 10,000 SF
Team: Miroslava Brooks, Daniel Markiewicz, Aaron Payne

This project is a response to a brief which asked for a design of a rural community preschool in Xai-Xai District in Gaza Province, Mozambique. Central to our design process was the understanding that children often learn about their environment and world around through play.

Rather than a large singular enclosed space, the given pre-school program is divided into nine smaller interior volumes that are organized around a unifying square courtyard. An entry for each room is located inside this courtyard.  The passageways between the volumes allow for fluid circulation throughout the complex and connect the interior of the cluster with the adjacent landscape areas.  This simple arrangement produces a sense of community, which is further unified by a single roof structure accented with four tilted gables that signify primary entries, contribute to water collection and organize the placement of colored vertical screens below.

The landscape strategy echoes the energy and playfulness of the tilted roofs. Short curved retaining walls respond to the significant topographic change within the existing landscape and organize loosely defined playgrounds and spaces for outdoor learning. Many of the gathering spaces are organized around naturally shaded locations on the site that include the large existing tree and some proposed additional trees to be planted on site. An orchard intended for both practical and educational purposes completes the landscape in the farther reaches of the site.