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SYDNEY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND PLANNING
The Freswind
Travelling Workshop – Vanuatu Winter Intensive Michael Muir
Students Mai Alarilla Wessam Bakkour Poppy Brown Stephanie Dodd Elsa Feng Maddie Gallagher Angus Gregg John Heok Suh Kevin Hwang Mouhamed Kbar Faith Kennerley Rachel Liang Gabriella Lindsay Ned Love Lauren Maley Juthamas Marsh Chloe McArthur Leanne Meng Harry Murdoch Emma O’brien Lisa Xiao-lei Shao Noah Soderlund Camille Symonds Rain Tone Wu Kimberly Ye Jinrui Zhang
Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam hit the South Pacific in March of 2015, and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. In 2016, the University of Sydney was contacted to help with the relocation of around ninety families squatting on land within the water catchment area of the capital of Vanuatu, Port Vila.
Builders Keith March Denis Ruest Craig Scow Freswind Community
The students arrived in Vanuatu in two groups, each spending two weeks on site building and spending time with the community. With the help of local community members and their machetes, the first group cleared the site and dug trenches. They cut, bent, tied and assembled steel reinforcement cages and poured concrete into trenches forming the step footings of the cyclone proof classroom.
Vanuatu Government Joseph Lagoiala Hon. Ralph Regenvanu
In early 2017, a keen group of students and staff visited the Freswind community where a school was set as the most important priority – a community building that they could all be proud of. The project progressed in 2018 with the Tin Sheds Gallery Exhibition, The Freswind School Project Book along with many cake stalls. This year, 26 students were involved in the preparation and construction of the first stage of the school. The students spent the semester learning about Vanuatu culture and language as well as continuing to fundraise and promote the project within the school and beyond. The crowd funding goal of $30,000 was reached and the students raised a further $10,000.
The second group arrived a few days later to build a low concrete block wall which involved mixing mortar and carrying, cutting and laying blocks. As a parting gift, the students painted the side of the site shed with the project name. This attracted a lot of kids in the community, which reinforced the purpose of the project as a place of diversity and unity. This project was supported by the Australian Government New Colombo Plan. A special thank you to Michael Muir, Christina Rita, Keith March and Denis Ruest.
School Project 2019
