‘inside out school’ in ghana incorporates local materials and sustainable design solutions

the humanitarian undertaking was constructed in 60 days with just 12,000 euro, together with the local population and international volunteers from 20 different countries.

isabel narea November 13, 2017 3 min

andrea tabocchini and francesca vittorini have designed the ‘inside out school’ in ghana, a school prototype built in yeboahkrom — a rural village where the wind had destroyed the only school in the area. the humanitarian undertaking was constructed in 60 days with just 12,000 euro, bringing together the local population and a group of international volunteers from 20 different countries.

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the wind had destroyed the only school in the area
image by andrea tabocchini © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

the school was built by hand from materials available on the site (earth, wood and vegetation). the lack of resources and the site limitations inspired the architects to take on a sustainable design strategy that merges architecture and landscape. the staggered walls of the classrooms are built by compacting the local earth. a light wood structure lifts the roof up, allowing zenithal light into the building, and generates a natural ventilation of the space. the porch extends into the garden increasing the shaded spaces to study outdoors.

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the school blurs the boundaries between inside and outside
image by andrea tabocchini © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

as its name suggests, the ‘inside out school’ blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, offering an alternative to standard introverted classrooms and proposing an affordable and easily replicable design that values the local know-how.

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a small budget of 12,000 euros was allotted for the project
image by andrea tabocchini © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the building ensures a fluid exchange between interior and exterior social spaces
image by katharina kohlroser © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the school prototype was built in yeboahkrom, a rural village in ghana
image by beatriz villapecellin © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the transparency of the school integrates the landscape within the design
image by austin wyeth © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the school serves as an important community center for the village
image by katharina kohlroser © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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image by andrea tabocchini © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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image by andrea tabocchini © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the home was built by hand from materials available on the site (earth, wood and vegetation)
image by francesca vittorini © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the design won several international awards and was constructed in 60 days
image by shih-kai lin © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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the lack of resources and the site limitations inspired a sustainable design strategy
image by shih-kai lin © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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a team of local workers and international volunteers assembled the school in 60 days
image by beatriz villapecellin© andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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section © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

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plan © andrea tabocchini & francesca vittorini

construction team:

workshop leaders: andrea tabocchini, francesca vittorini & lori zillante (italy)

workshop participants: adrian aranda (cuba), ali abidi (tunisia), alessia bernini (italy), anastasia nechalioti (greece), aryan vanaki (iran), austin wyeth (usa), beatriz villapecellin (spain), caterina rogani (italy), elliot rawlinson (uk), emma barrett (australia), jaakko torvinen (finland), katharina kohlroser (austria), laura conti (italy), luis rubio (colombia), marco pappalardo (italy), margherità memè (italy), miia suomela (finland), nadia avezzano (italy), nikolaos nikolis (greece), paulius kliucininkas (lithuania), pin chih liao (taiwan), po-min kung (taiwan), riccardo guerri (italy), richard migisha (uganda), sara signori (italy), shih-kai lin (taiwan), simone argentesi (italy), sofia toni (italy), tarindu baggya millawage (italy | sri lanka), timothy kölle (germany), urszula bajcer (polland)

local workers: abass moahmmed, abubakar moahmmed, afirifah kwame, anor kwaku, anthony gbadagao, anthony visa, edward ampomah, edward boadu twum, eric agyeman, johnson yeboah, nimo collins (ghana)