OCHAP

Office for Cohabitation Processes

KURANDZA LEARNING CENTER

PROGRAM: Learning center (elementary to high school)
TEAM: Valerio Franzone
CLIENT: Archstorming, Kurandza
LOCATION: Chivonguene, Mozambique
AREA: outdoor 1.600 m²; indoor 212 m²
STATUS: International design competition, 2022

Kurandza Learning Center is a structure in rural Mozambique for girls aged 6 to 19. Its purpose is to ensure that the girls can finish their studies. The design strategy focuses on making the physical space a device to enhance the students’ self-esteem, sense of community, and curiosity about the world around them. The complex is U-shaped because being circular but not closed suggests protection and open-mindedness toward discoveries. The buildings have simple massings with different sizes, colors, and window shapes. Like building block toys create a familiar, protective, and stimulating environment.
The colors are inspired by the national flag symbolism. The classes—the students—and the boundary wall—the school—are green like the richness of the land; the institutional spaces—the office, the multipurpose room, and the guardhouse—are red like independence; the childcare room, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the workshop building are yellow like the resources; and the interiors are white like peace. There’s no black because Africa is already the school’s foundation.
The windows follow the functions of the buildings: the classrooms have different geometric shapes to be joyful; the office’s ones are long and linear to look outside and appear serious; the kitchen has portholes because it already has funnels like a ship; the multipurpose room, has french windows to welcome meetings; the childcare room has glassed holes for a magic light; the bathroom has high holing for privacy and ventilation; the workshop room has big full height openings for every need; the guardhouse has 360° windows for security; the storage… has no windows.

The classrooms are the reason for the school to exist; they are the core generating complexity. Consequently, their facades become the school’s fence, turning all the functions into a system. The windows’ play of triangles and squares spreads on all four sides of the brick fence, permitting one to observe the surrounding landscape from everywhere while still feeling protected. The brick fence dematerializes into a metal mesh in front of the other buildings. In addition to allowing the school’s inhabitants to admire the landscape continuously, this strategy shows the joyful complexity of the complex to the outside, creating a pattern of colors and shapes in the landscape.
The project is conceived to allow different construction techniques and materials without affecting its appearance and functioning. In dialogue with the design architect and the local architect, the client will choose their preferred option based on their needs and budget.
Like the construction options, the complex’s functioning follows a simple and sustainable approach. It includes solar panels for electricity and a rainwater collecting system.