Serving up to 80 students, this 6,000-sq-ft early childhood development center and teacher training facility in Johannesburg, South Africa, was the culmination of two years of planning, design and construction led by student volunteers from Cornell University. Opened in 2011, the schoolhouse has become an integral part of the neighborhood and showcases the use of innovative building systems in low-income communities.
 |
Cornell University Sustainable Design (CUSD) was formed by students involved with the Solar Decathlon competition to "rethink how we can continue a design-build program but broaden our horizons," says Barry Beagen, project director. The group's interest in social, ecological and economic sustainability led them to partner with Education Africa's Social Architecture program, which encourages student organizations to design and construct low-cost preschools within impoverished communities.
After visiting the project site and speaking with local educators and community leaders, CUSD organized the project's design development via a competition among Cornell architecture students. Goals such as passive energy and low maintenance were identified early on. Funding for the project, which normally would have cost more than $500,000, was covered by donations from suppliers, sponsor organizations and student volunteers from over 22 countries. CUSD promoted a shared ownership in the preschool and increased cross-cultural learning by encouraging foreign students to work side by side with members of the local community.
比根说：“制定一个共同的愿景非常重要，因为每个人都有其中的股份。”“这种共同的愿景与供应商，承包商和我们的合作伙伴也一样，因为我们知道这个项目不仅仅是志愿者来来往往。”
建筑物的结构是使用填充的聚丙烯袋形成的，放置在Ecobeam框架内。极低的成本系统增加了建筑物的热量，并消除了对主动加热或冷却系统的需求。CUSD成员Daniel Lu说：“通过在基础铺设过程中挖掘袋子的土壤，我们减少了废物和运输，同时将残余物质转变为高性能且有弹性的壁系统。”将钢筋混凝土环放在集成到壁系统中的柱子上，以增加内部跨度并延长建筑物的使用寿命。窗户窗口和儿童高度门户窗户消除了电灯的需求。
在三个月的建筑中，CUSD需要现场志愿者符合美国和南非安全标准。结果，该项目的23,000人小时数没有受伤，这“对志愿者的工人说话，”法官说。
While the students learned many new skills, Beagen says the most important lesson for him was found in building character and leadership. "To me, managing relationships among the students and among the different contractors was the most valuable experience."
Location约翰内斯堡
Project Team
所有者罗勒阅读约翰内斯堡的发展
建筑师Cornell University Sustainable Design, Ithaca, N.Y.
General ContractorPD解决方案，约翰内斯堡
EngineersTetra Tech, Ithaca; PD Solutions, Johannesburg
Partner OrganizationsEducation Africa, Johannesburg; City of Johannesburg; Play-With-A-Purpose, Muldersdrift, South Africa
