Extension of High School at Dano

In the small town of Dano in Burkina Faso, Kéré has designed an addition to an existing school complex. The L-shaped structure consists of three classrooms, offices and a computer room. In addition to this, a sit-out area covered by a tilted cantilevering roof has also been added. This area, open to the exterior, is extensively used during breaks. In keeping with Kéré’s philosophy, the design takes into account the climatic conditions through the use of locally available materials and climatic specific sustainability features.

The east-west orientation of the building helps reduce direct solar radiation onto the walls. In addition to this, a wave-like roof form extends sharply to further protect the walls from the sun. Locally available laterite, laminated within the classrooms, the wave-like suspended ceiling divides it into 3m wide bays like the external structure. Comprised of cement stones hanging on the construction of thin, flat rolled steel, the bottom side of the ceiling is painted in reflective white to distribute light within the classrooms. Slits in the ceiling allow hot air to escape through the roof. This along with the inclined corrugated sheet roof and the completely shaded windows ensure natural ventilation in the rooms.

This is a more sustainable method of construction compared to a conventional one which would require artificial air-conditioning of the rooms. The construction process revaluated laterite as the local building material. Thin layers of cement were used to form the load – bearing partitions walls. The foundation for these walls is a bed of granite stone.

The tall window shutters, painted in bright colours corresponding with the activity, are placed in a rhythmic pattern and add to the aesthetics of the building. The protruding window sills are adapted as activity area by the students as per their needs. The roof consists of 3m wide modular elements assembled from iron bars welded on site. Corrugated roofing is fixed to this assembly to protect the interior from the elements.Throughout the process, local artisans were trained in new techniques, ensuring that building methods would stay within the community.