Naaba Belem Goumma Secondary School

After the overwhelming success of the Gando Primary School, it became clear that additional educational facilities were needed for students to continue their learning. In collaboration with the Kéré Foundation e.V., Kéré Architecture set out to design a school complex to accommodate the growing teenage population of Gando and its surroundings.

Combining both modern and vernacular construction methods, the design pioneers a new building technique: in-situ cast walls made of poured local clay mixed with cement and aggregate. This innovative method allows for a faster building process and greater architectural flexibility than the traditional clay bricks, while being more sustainable and less expensive than concrete. In order to further maximise resources, the classrooms are all made up of 2m-wide wall modules whose steel formwork can be removed within 48 hours of pouring and directly reused.

The clay walls are protected from damaging wind-driven rain by large roof overhangs, as well as eucalyptus wood façades. The double façade creates a shaded buffer zone between its two layers, which helps to cool down the classrooms and provides a breakout space for students to use between lessons.

The buildings are arranged in a circle reminiscent of the traditional compounds that represent the dominant regional typology. The circle opens to the west, creating a protected courtyard that keeps out the dusty and hot eastern wind while letting in a cool western breeze. This courtyard is imagined not only for students, but also as a place where the community of Gando can gather for various activities.

The campus is surrounded by an extensive terraced landscape planted with native tree species. This helps to control the temperature of the classrooms thanks to the added thermal mass that surrounds them, while at the same time reinforcing the surrounding soil against desertification.