After working as a volunteer on a school in Zambia for a few months, our colleague Maya de Ridder is now back on Dutch soil. She shares a number of experiences that she brings with her in her work as a designer.
Maya: “The entire experience has made me realize that it is important to work bottom-up as a designer. It is about talking to the locals and the users of the building. What do they need? Which elements would they like to see in a design? Something that I would like to apply even more in projects for our office.”
Using nature
“An essential topic that I take with me is designing for an extreme climate. For example, in one of my projects Campus Saba Comprehensive School we also work on a school in a tropical environment. Very different from what you are taught in school.” Instead of keeping natural elements like the wind outside, you should use them to your advantage. “At all the schools in Zambia I have seen, they implement glass windows, an unnecessary and impractical choice that limits proper ventilation. By removing the glass and incorporating cross-ventilation instead, the building can provide a much more comfortable environment for the children.”
It is a challenge to implement climate measures when there is little budget. Maya also noticed this during her volunteer work. “By seeing the extreme conditions in Zambia, I started to look more creatively for low-tech solutions. Solutions that are affordable to incorporate in these local communities. I now realize even more that, as a designer, my choices for materials and greenery must not only be aesthetically pleasing but also align with the overall livability of the environment.
Due to short-term needs and priorities, this specific location required more research and effort on topics I hadn’t considered before. “It’s not just about the building expansion I initially came for, the Science Block. I became fascinated by its location and the overall picture of what we aim to achieve in the long term.”
Next up
“What I am proud of is that I have drawn up a master plan. I have worked on similar for lyongo architecture, so I knew where to start. Now, there is a long-term plan and a clear vision for the area. As the Ministry of Education mentioned, this will serve as a model for the entire province. The fact that they support me in this means a lot to me. It is clear to me that I can still make a difference here and that motivates me to continue developing the technical design for the Science Block and complete its execution next year.”
Next year ProjectsNow, the foundation that Maya worked for, will build the school. A couple of weeks ago they hosted a benefit diner to get some money to start this and other projects. Check out their website for more updates.
