The school made of earth and bamboo was constructed for and with the Modern Education and Training Institute (METI) and the NGO mother organisation Dipshikha in 2005 in Rudrapur in northern Bangladesh. The project was undertaken in cooperation with Shanti Bangladesch e.V. and the Papal Children’s Mission (PMK).
METI promotes the individual abilities and interests of the schoolchildren and trainees taking into account their different learning speeds in a free and open form of learning. It offers an alternative to the typical frontal approach to lessons. The architecture of the new school reflects this principle and provides different kinds of spaces and uses to support this approach to teaching and learning. On the ground floor with its thick earth walls, three classrooms are located each with their own access opening to an organically shaped system of ‘caves’ to the rear of the classroom. The soft interiors of theses spaces are for touching, for nestling up against, for retreating into for exploration or concentration, on one’s own or in a group. The upper floor made of bamboo is by contrast light and open offering sweeping views across the surroundings, its large interior providing space for movement. The view expands across the treetops and the village pond. Light and shadows from the bamboo strips play across the earth floor and contrast with the colourful materials of the saris on the ceiling. An outdoor platform extends out into the trees conquering the vertical dimension in an environment of predominantly small low earthen dwellings. The use of earth and bamboo as building materials draws upon traditional building techniques with technical improvements. They demonstrate how locally available resources, abilities and labour can be used to build cost-effective and better buildings. 25 local labourers from the direct vicinity of the school were trained in the new techniques and took part in constructing the building. Likewise, the schoolchildren and teachers were also integrated throughout the building process, contributing to their own school by making items such as straw-earth rolls for the door and window surrounds. The surfaces of the building also reflect the people within: the doors bear the Bengali names of the children forming a chronic of the school that will extend with each year.
“We can already sense the new-found enthusiasm and hope that building with earth can have for improving the quality of living for the poor in rural areas.” (Paul Tigga, Head of Dishikha, the Bengali partner organisation, Dez. 05)
Architecture
Anna Heringer Eike Roswag, cooperation school handmade Anna Heringer, Mag. arch., Eike Roswag, Dipl. Ing. Architect Project preparation and coordination: Anna Heringer, Eike Roswag Concept and design: Anna Heringer Design and works planning: Anna Heringer, Eike Roswag Site supervision, training of workers: Anna Heringer, Eike Roswag
Structural engineering, Earth construction consulting
Ziegert Roswag Seiler Architekten Ingenieure Bürogemeinschaft, Berlin Dr.-Ing. Christof Ziegert, Dipl.-Ing. Uwe Seiler
Consulting, building supervision and training of workers in bamboo construction
Emmanuel Heringer (basket weaver and carpenter), Stefanie Haider (blacksmith)
Construction
Dipshikha/METI (Modern Education and Trainig Institute) with local labourers and own training workshop 25 to 30 workers every day
Workers by trade
8 bricklayers 12 – 20 labourers for earthen building 8 labourers for bamboo construction 1 foreman, 2 apprentices, 5 trainees, METI training workshop for joiners 5 plasterers (interior plaster) 1 local foreman 2 architects, 2 crafts experts (Team from Germany) 4 – 6 volunteers, (students, teachers, workmen from Germany and Austria)
Construction period
5 months (September to December 2005)
Materials used
83 m• masonry brickwork for foundations and veranda 270 m• cob for walls, ceilings in the ‘caves’, rammed earth floors 400 tonnes wet earthen material 2,300 bamboo canes for ceilings, upper storey, façades 12,500 bamboo strips for upper storey bamboo façades
