Kid's village: Changeable School in a Park

Kid’s Village is not just about building a rural school in Haiti. It is a project aimed at creating a more comprehensive and flexible learning environment for children.

The project, thus, is to build "a village" for children, including a changeable school inside a park.

The school is designed with a simple 3x4-metre grid structure applied for the detached cover roof and bearing walls. The high and large roof lets more air pass through, coordinates sunlight inside, collects rainwater, and connects two phases of the school. The light wooden structure and the detachment help to deal with earthquakes. Sliding partitions and opened concrete bearing walls allow for flexibility. As a result, the school is no longer a closed building with fixed spaces and will thus be experienced as a whole, flexible,changeable space open to the landscape.

The materials are local wood and concrete, which are cheaper and more affordable. The project also involves a tree planting strategy in the outdoor space to mediate and subdivide local contexts that fit human scale, creating a series of multi-functional green rooms for children, including playgrounds, sports areas, and shadowy areas for studying.

Author: Minh Quang Nguyen, Hai Tu Tran

Year: 2019

Location: Haiti

Type: ARCHsharing Competition - Finalists

Status: Published

The school under trees canopy

Phasing: Planting and building

1 or 3 schools: 1st variation
4 classrooms, teacher room, multi-purpose room, kitchen, toilet

1 or 3 schools: 2nd variation
2 big classrooms and multi-purpose room opens to the courtyard

1 or 3 schools: 3rd variation
a large pavilion opens to landscape

Changeable School in a Park
Experiencing, studying, playing and growing up

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