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Improvement of educational quality with cultural and gender approach

This project is part of an educational program that aims to improve the overall quality of education in rural communities in the municipality of Champerico.

At Champerico in Guatemala
From 2017 to 2018
By Arquitectos Sin Fronteras España
Local partners: ASIAPRODI and PRODESSA
Donors: Xunta de Galicia, private contributions, Municipalidad de Champerico, Caja Navarra and Fundación Roviralta

The construction of a school in the community of El Manchón is part of a bigger educational program which has been developed by ASF, PROYDE -Spanish organizations-, PRODESSA and ASIAPRODI -loca! partners- since 2014. The intervention seeks to improve the condition in eight primary schools and two high schools from an integrated approach, addressing specific aspects with each group involved in the process: teachers, students, parents, communities, local leaders, associations and institutional authorities.

The objective is to adapt, improve and build quality educational spa ces that offer an appropriate, safe and healthy environment for their users, thus establishing an adequate framework for the learning process. The school of El Manchón has bee n designed to achieve the necessary com fort conditions in the building, putting into practice criteria of bioclimatic design, appropriate technologies, optimisation of resources and participation. The construction includes two classrooms, a kitchen, a canteen and a module of ecological dry toilets.The materials used for construction are concrete blocks and reinforced concrete. This solution is adequate to the context according to their effectiveness, viability, sustainability and impact, adapting the design to the availability of resources and !ocal knowledge. The design establishes a modulation in order to red u ce the use of materials, avoid was te and make the construction easier, fas ter and more efficient.

Category: Education Medium / Technology / Material: Concrete blocks & Reinforced concrete Typology: Project
Axonometry
Axonometry
North facade
South view
Interior view
wall details
Students participatpion in design process
Community participatpion in design process
Excavation works

Ambatofotsy Medical Centre, Madagascar

Designed and built a medical infrastructure

At Madagascar
In 2017
By Architecture Sans Frontières Québec - Canada
Local partners: Soeurs Missionnaires de l’Immaculée Conception
Donors: l’Immaculée Conception

Designed and built a medical infrastructure in a remote area with 4,000 inhabitants on the high plateaus of the Red Island Ambatofotsy is a remote location whose 4,000 inhabitants live dispersed across a sprawling, arid landscape with no medical infrastructure. In early 2017, Architecture Without Borders Québec, Engineers Without Borders Québec and the PRECI decided to support the mission of the Soeurs Missionnaires de l’Immaculée Conception, a missionary that has been in Ambatofotsy for years, to finance, design and build a medical centre in a culturally appropriate and sustainable manner. A volunteer architect’s mission in May 2017 allowed us to meet local partners, understand the site and prepare materials orders. Needs were surveyed on site through participatory workshops. The building embodies the vernacular principles of Malagasy construction, while also incorporating modern concepts. Since early February 2018, a doctor has been doing consultations 3 days per week, and a nurse and midwife have been on site full-time to offer first aid and maternity services. With the support of the Roncalli International Foundation, a second phase of construction is now set to begin to complete the centre by adding accommodations for the medical team.

Ambatofotsy Medical Centre
Ambatofotsy Medical Centre
Ambatofotsy Medical Centre
Ambatofotsy Medical Centre

Technical support for earthquake affected households in Nepal

To provide social and technical support for approximately 600 households, in 3 earthquake affected Districts of Nepal - Dolakha, Dhading and Rasuwa

At Nepal
By Architecture Sans Frontières - Nepal
Local partners: Pourakhi Nepal
Donors: Caritas Luxembourg

The main objective of this project was to improve housing conditions in earthquake affected communities in selected wards of Dolakha, Rasuwa and Dhading districts through five aspects:
1.    Social Mobilization
2.    Technical Assistance
3.    Tiered Assistance
4.    Market Development
5.    Local building culture

We started the project in June with household survey along with community mapping. The survey was done to assess the need and status of the reconstruction of the target beneficiaries with their understanding of local building culture.
Demo house was constructed to promote local building culture and to train the local builders and masons to build earthquake resistant houses following government standards and codes.  The completion of demo house served as an exemplar for the community to start reconstruction of their houses following local building culture and government standards. This further paved the way for them to become eligible for the government grant. Under this project, our team on site supported these beneficiaries in this process by providing regular technical support, house drawings and required information. In addition, we short listed most vulnerable beneficiaries to provide them with top up grant to assist in the reconstruction process.
Furthermore, we also provided vocational training like Kiwi, cardamon plantation, hospitality and plumbing training to the selected locals to enhance their skill and livelihood.
We provided all of our beneficiaries with required technical assistance to complete the reconstruction of their houses till the completion of the project period in June 2019. Till then, almost all the targeted beneficiaries had either completed or were constructing their houses and nearing completion.

earthquakes_nepal_cardamon
Training at the cardamon plantation
earthquakes_nepal_house
Completed house
earthquakes_nepal_house 2
Demo house house
earthquakes_nepal_house 3
Demo house under construction
earthquakes_nepal_house 4
House in Dolakha under construction
earthquakes_nepal_house 5
Applying mud plaster to the demo house
earthquakes_nepal_areal
Magapauwa

Housing units for the personnel of Masanga hospital in Sierra Leone

Support a renovated hospital with staff housing

At Sierra Leone
By Arkitekter Uden Grænser - Denmark
Local partners: Danish NGO with local branch in Sierra Leone
Donors: Café Retro and Statens Kunstfond

„Several new housing units for the staff at Masanga Hospital in Sierra Leone. The hospital will thus have an easier time recruiting qualified staff. Today the hospital is functioning well and around 150 patients are treated every day. One of the biggest issues, that they are facing, is the lack of decent staff housing. Without decent housing the staff is left to live in primitive huts and attracting qualified staff is difficult.
DEVELOPMENT TARGETS:
- That Masanga Hospital can attract qualified labour by offering decent accommodation.
- That the hospital, through more and better trained staff, can increase its capacity and provide better service to people living within its catchment area.
ARCHITECTURE:
The project contains several new housing units for the staff of the Masanga Hospital. The specific units is a part of a bigger whole, which gradually can develop and be used by locals as a standard model for developing their village. The units have a longer lifespan and offers a better indoor climate for a lower cost. The country is going to operate the hospital by 2016 and the ambition is to construct 250 staff housing units by then. An important aspect is to secure local ownership by including the community in the construction, so they can take over the future constructions.
It has been of high focus to develop housing that took climate, functionality and local materials into consideration. The intention has also been to integrate parameters such as natural ventilation, daylight and cooling. Because of a very limited financial frame low cost solutions have also been of high priority. Each unit is to be inhabited by a family or three nurses.
PROJECT TEAM: Rasmus C. Hamann, Camilla Kragh, Silje Erøy Sollien

Masanga_dwellings2
Housing units for the hospital's personnel, type 1
Masanga_dwellings3
Housing units for the hospital's personnel, type 2
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