Mzamba School
The operation concerns a place of exceptional character in a particular socio-economic context. This vast expanse of grassland runs alongside the Mzamba River at its mouth into the Indian Ocean. The site is located in the former Transkei bantustan, a territory that has seen little development since the democratisation of South Africa. The Eastern Cape province is thus among the poorest regions of the country.
The project rests on the creation of an expandable school complex that guarantees sufficient teaching areas for the children of the surrounding villages. The entire programme is organised around a planted patio, thus creating the opportunity for a pleasant covered route. The latter allows a fluid connection of the different spaces: entrance, covered playground and classroom.
The constructive and architectural choices also lean towards reducing the environmental impact. To this end, the use of local resources, a simple construction technique and a sustainable energy concept make it possible both to respond to the specific constraints of the local humid subtropical climate and to ensure a delicate integration of the object into its setting.
This is why the form of the roof is no accident. The orientation of its slopes makes it possible to collect rainwater in a cistern in order to redistribute it, notably to a fountain that enlivens the school courtyard. These elements thus inscribe the project not only in a desire to integrate the school durably into its context but also in an architectural pursuit that gives this modest programme a certain finesse together with functionality.
The construction process is carried out in collaboration with members of the community to ensure, in addition to a gentle handling of the environment and a reduction of costs, a real development of skills and the creation of jobs within the Mzamba community. The first classroom was built in three construction stages with the help of students from the Technische Universität München and was delivered at the beginning of 2012.
University project (TUM) for the construction of a school in South Africa. In collaboration with Ludwig Zitzelsberger, under the direction of and photographed by Markus Dobmeier.