A school can be more than education : schools for the future.

Abstract

This research project, schools for the future, explores how a school and a community could coexist sharing resources and various facilities.

Our current population is rapidly growing, and not just expanding, but increasing in urban density. The increase within the local population on causes greater pressures to expand into our valuable parks and bush terrain.

Urban density also causes traffic congestion when resources are not within close proximity of residents. The increase in population within a community places a huge demand for larger schools, libraries, leisure centres and road ways.

Instead of increasing our parking lots and high ways for people to travel to schools or leisure facilities, could we not design a multi purpose building within the heart of the community serving for a greater purpose?

Each community would have differing needs, but which facilities could be shared in our sample study, Oteha Valley Primary School and its local growing community currently facing this increase in density. To what extent could this be achieved in terms of a building’s flexibility?

Could a primary school work collaboratively amongst the public whilst maintaining a sense of security and belonging throughout the traditional school hours, but then be publicly open after hours? This collaboration explores the flexibility within the architecture to adapt to the needs of the occupants whether for educational flexibility or as publicly required.