The International School of Zanzibar

The brief of the parents committee was to design a simple school facility with two classrooms, an office and the required toilet facilities for about 40 children with an adjourning sports field on a shoe string budget. Should the need arise at a later time, the school committee requested a sufficiently flexible plan to allow an expansion by a further three classrooms without having to make too large structural changes.

The base plan of the school is made up of 3 equally sized bays of equal sizes, the central one being however reduced to accommodate the washrooms accessible from the back with the school offices towards the front. These three bays were covered by an insitu made reinforced concrete slab, sufficiently strengthened to allow a further 3 classrooms to be built on top of them, if needed. Already during construction, more children subscribed for the upcoming term then projected, making one additional classroom necessary. This classroom was put onto the central bay, with an external stair providing the access. To keep the facility for further extensions open, the roof areas were covered by the locally available makuti (palm leaves), which could easily be removed to allow further developments. Due to the climatic conditions and the need of continuous ventilation, the windows are timber louvers which can be adjusted as to need. At night when the school closes they are shut.

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