ABSTRACT
Institut Foyer du savoir provides education for about 400 students from Kinder-garden to the 6th Grade (Ages: 3-20 years old). Registration cost each year is 3,500 Gourdes and 500 Gourdes each month after that. The cost covers for school uniform, food and school supplies for each student. School hours run from 8am-12pm and 1pm-5pm, with 16 teachers for the school.
BACKGROUND
Haiti's recent earthquake left the original school building collapsed and beyond repair. Afterward, the Institut Foyer du savoir created a temporary site to provide the continued support and educational services for their community. A small residence was converted into classrooms and additional space created by tarpaulins strung out as shade coverings over the driveway.
Prior to the earthquake, the school provided education to nearly 200 students in the morning session with another 200 participating in the afternoon. With class levels ranging from Kindergarden through 6th grade, the students’ typical age is from 3-20 years. An annual tuition of 3,500 Gourde (approximately $90 USD) plus another 500 Gourde each month covers associated costs for school uniforms, food and supplies for each student.
After an evaluation of the school’s existing structure, The Rebuilding Center and Architecture for Humanity Port-au-Prince have developed a proposed design for relocating and rebuilding the school facilities. This new campus will provide a safe built environment for Haitian children to attend school and provide support facilities for community members.
TRANSITION
Currently classes are being held in a cramped, temporary facility rented by the school. Providing sufficient space for hosting the participating students and the necessary infrastructure to support a functioning school, is a difficult task. The four rooms of the converted residence function as classrooms while the driveway provides additional tarpaulin covered learning areas for the overflowing classes.
SITE
Located in the Delmas 75 region of Port-au-Prince, Haiti; the proposed site and new construction will continue to support the school’s existing surrounding community.
Site Specific Information
Location: Avenue Fragneauville, Delmas 75, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Approximate Size: 12,872 square feet (1,195.847 square meters)
Site Description:
• Sloping site with extended views in multiple directions
• Open, cleared lot provides good exposure to cooling mountain breezes and direct sunlight
• Vegetation is limited to a few existing small trees at the western perimeter of the property and various field grasses.
PHASES
Phase 1
• building footprint: 3,888 square feet
• 6 classrooms
• circulation balcony
• mechanical space
• administration office
• student & staff bathrooms
Phase 2
• building footprint: 1,728 square feet
• multipurpose room
• kitchen
• staff dorms
• water collection cistern
Phase 3
• building footprint: 1,833 square feet
• kindergarten
• courtyard
• 2 classrooms
• additional bathrooms
• circulation balcony
• water collection cistern
Comments
I made a research of Wright's Imperial Hotel in Japan that survived the earthquake that made Wright famous all over the world ! I happened to rent a room there in 1963 once before they demoished years later.
He built a bathtub-like structure and wrapped the steel reinforced bars up to the second floor; all the plumbing pipes did not have right angle connections; He provided expansion joints at every twenty feet on center. He provided reflecting pools for the fire emergency; He designed it according to the Chinese symmetrical design instead of the assymetry that was so popular in Japan, symetrical design can take the rocking back and forth earthquake force much better !
I went through some of the photographs here in a hurry, I did not see any provision taken here such as the bathtub design and the expansion joint provision yet. I only saw a lot of steel used here as reinforcement.
Nobody would claim a safe structure until after the disaster. Therefore all the provisions should be taken into consideration, including the over-design elements employed by Wright. But at the end, he had made his name in history not for nothing ! George Wu, AIA 2011-11-29
GEORGE WU, AIA 伍榮基 美国註册建築師
Savings of thousands of dollars if you ever started thinking of using the used shipping containers.
GEORGE WU, AIA 伍榮基 美国註册建築師
Containers are the answer for Haiti ! Why every one has been avoiding it ? I do not understand. George Wu, AIA 2012-1-21
GEORGE WU, AIA 伍榮基 美国註册建築師
1. A metal box is hot as hell in the tropics, especially without insulation. (no insulation for sale in the local market).
2. Roads in Haiti are generally not great so distribution would be a problem.
3. People want to live in houses not disguised/discarded containers.
4. There are a few examples of shipping containers being used for schools, office and shops, but for housing I don't think they are the answer. Check out the houses provided by Cordaid - http://cordaidhaiti.org/programs/