building trust enables portable moving school for refugees

building trust enables portable moving school for refugees
all images courtesy of building trust

the moving school project organized by UK-based NGO ‘building trust’, provides a modular, flat-pack design for migrant and refugee communities living on the thai-burmese border. as a result of a competition, the winning entry by amadeo bennetta and dan larossa was built last year. the portable buildings provide security for those living in host countries, where often they don’t have the right to own land, making infrastructural investments difficult. the initiative has transformed the learning environments of more than 1000 children to date, from schools constructed with just a tarpaulin sheet over a mud floor, to safe, clean, well ventilated classrooms. minimizing the detrimental effects of flooding and maximizing natural light and passive ventilation, the shelters are based on a modular system that allows them to be constructed in way that responds to its unique site conditions.

the designs are freely available to allow others to build their own moving school. to help support building trust you can donate here, knowing that 100% of your donation goes towards making these projects a reality.

the construction process teaches news skills to local apprentices, using sustainable materials such as bamboo for cladding and internal walls. a skeletal steel frame enables the buildings to achieve zero waste by using uniformly sized components and divisions of standard lengths. the foundations are made from reclaimed tires filled with gravel, which can be relocated with the school if needed. a UV resistant tensile fabric is used as a roof, dramatically reducing internal noise from rain and overheating from the sun, the durable material also surpasses the life expectancy of tarp, zinc or thatch roofs. the internal walls can move, creating flexible spaces that can easily be adapted depending on the number of children or the desired function.

pupils on lunch at moving school 001

central courtyard in moving school 001

external perspective of moving school 001

looking inside the classroom and view of the corridor

the exterior of moving school 003

a teacher giving a lesson at moving school 001

a consultation session with teachers and parents at the beginning stage of moving school 002

drawing of the

building trust have also the assembly drawings for the first moving school building project. the pdf booklet can be downloaded from their website and not only gives the cutting dimensions and instructions for the different components, it also offers tips and suggestions for site preparation, time scheduling, and how many people will be needed at each stage.   

drawing of the roof installation assembly kit

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.