toshiko mori completes oval-shaped fass school and teachers’ residence in remote senegal

toshiko mori architect has completed the ‘fass school and teachers’ residence’, a new school that can serve up to 300 students from ages five through ten in remote senegal. the oval-shaped construction comprises four classrooms and two flexible spaces arranged around an interior courtyard. its design takes its cues from vernacular precedents, while local, traditional skills and materials are utilized in its construction, similar to the thread cultural center which the new york-based studio designed a few years back.

image © iwan baan

toshiko mori architect completed the project in collaboration with the josef and anni albers foundation and non-profit organization, le korsa. ‘fass school and teachers’ residence’ is the first school in a region of over 110 villages to provide secular education alongside traditional quranic teaching. its design draws from the ‘one room school house’ in rural america where josef albers once taught, and can accommodate students of different age groups and at diverse stages of development.image © iwan baan

the oval-shaped school includes four classrooms and two flexible spaces arranged around an interior courtyard. its circular form ensures easy circulation between classrooms, allowing the school’s few teachers to move quickly between classes. perimeter walls vary in terms of height and proximity to one another, creating a wide variety of sections and experiences through the building.image © sofia verzbolovskis

the construction of the building employs local, traditional skills and materials. small steel members and bamboo support mud-brick walls, which are painted white to deflect heat, and perforated to allow for ventilation and airflow throughout the building. the thick thatch roof – an inversion of the traditional pitched roof – reinforces climactic comfort by providing an effective insulation against extreme heat.image © iwan baan

with a roof pitch consistently 45 degrees or greater, the unique form of the thick thatch roof also maximizes rainwater runoff, diverting water into a channel that encircles the building and empties toward an existing aquifer. at the same time, a stack effect allows hot air to rise into the peak of the roof while inviting cool air into the spaces. toshiko mori provided the local construction team with instructional diagrams to assist with the sequencing of the structure’s precise geometry. involving the community throughout every phase of the project will allow for easy maintenance over time.

image © iwan baanimage © iwan baan