New Centre Rosalie Javouhey Girls’ School Complex
Project Outline Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
What we’re about
Our objectives Permanent Reconstruction Our primary objective, and the focus of this book, is to produce a phased plan for permanent reconstruction of Centre Rosalie Javouhey girls’ school. This plan must allow students to stay in school during construction, deliver essential facilities as quickly as possible, and ensure that all phases of construction fit into a sustainable and integrated vision for the future. The finished complex will be maximally energy- and waterindependent, and accommodate up to 1,280 students.
Case-study documentation We are documenting our planning process in short films that capture this unique journey and sharing its lessons with other development practitioners, donors, other disaster victims, and all those with a passion for breaking down international barriers in the name of equitable, sustainable and thinking development.
Capacity-building This project aims to create an ideal product by ensuring the best possible process. To create maximum sustainability and value for money, we will ensure that construction skills training happens during construction. Moreover, the site should become a case study for future replications of the same plan by showcasing open building sections.
Replication Our longer-term goal is to create a replication package so that our designs and participatory process can be easily adapted and replicated elsewhere in the city, thus benefitting from economies of scale, and addressing Haiti’s urgent need for high-density, sustainable and permanent schools.
1
Our principles
2
Inspiring School spaces must be child-friendly; they must inspire learning, play and creativity; they must allow local children to learn the skills their communities need; and they must feel safe, secure, and welcoming to all they serve.
Efficient
Designs must use materials, styles and skills on the local market. They must also be modular and easy to replicate. This makes the building cheaper and easy to maintain, and enables people to improve the construction skills that they need.
Passive Design Buildings must be naturally lit and ventilated during daylight hours. When electricity is required, such as for computing and water purification, it should be sustainably sourced. This is good for the environment, and cheaper to maintain.
4 5 Inclusive
The design and planning process has to include all groups who are immediately effected by the project. This should ensure a non-partisan outcome that is maximally useful. It should also empower all collaborators to look after their collective creation and continue sustainable development planning.
6 Disaster-resilient
All designs and implementation plans must be resilient to environmental and social threats, like earthquakes, hurricanes, poor materials and poor construction skills.
Holistic
Projects must be planned with the bigger picture in mind; they must consider all local needs, resources, infrastructure and ambitions for the future. This ensures that we only implement projects that are needed and that lea to empowering, equitable, and sustainable development.
Modular Design
Holistic
Efficient
The masterplan is based on a simple, easily replicable classroom module. By using this regular and symmetrical module as the basis for all parts of the masterplan, we ensure that local construction workers improve their skills through repetition. Moreover, replicating a module within the site and elsewhere in urban Haiti allows for performance improvements and reduced costs with each replication.
Masterplan
Modular structure
Replicable Design
Single building at Centre Rosalie Javouhey
Multiple building at Centre Rosalie Javouhey
Replicated building types & methods in Port-au-Prince
Replicated building types & methods in Haiti
Natural Ventilation & Acoustic Insulation Holistic
Efficient Passive Design Disasterresilient
Through traditional building techniques, and in accordance with local material availability, natural air ventilation and sound insulation will be optimised in all the classes and complimentary space. Cross flow natural ventilation in all classrooms. As one of the most effective methods of natural ventilation, this is a wind induced ventilation strategy that uses pressures generated on the building by the wind, where air enters on one side of the buildings, and leaves on the opposite side. Large faรงade openings present in the design allow for adequate classroom ventilation rates for thermal comfort at relatively low wind velocities. Brise soleil add additional thermal protections from direct sunlight and minimise solar gains into the teaching space whilst allowing in natural day light. Constant air circulation is fundamental for comfortable classroom environments, and to enable the children to concentrate in a safe, pleasant and inspiring environment. It is therefore crucial to achieve optimum light and ventilation performance to improve both comfort levels and spatial qualities.
Shading Systems Roof overhangs, brise soleils, and the green wall protect building from heat, glare and rain, while allowing optimum light fill the classrooms.
Glass Block Located at walls where the buildings overlap, to still allow in light but minimise noise pollution between spaces. To this end, doors are located where the buildings overlap, instead of windows, to keep the noise levels down and maximise light from the exterior walls.
Louvred Shutters Commonly used locally, the louvres are placed over the maximum structural window openings to allow for the highest levels of light, ventilation, and security. The shutters are controlled manually to open and close, and fitted with fly screens to prevent insects from entering the classroom. The outlets can be opened at night to cool the structure for the following day.
Green Wall Green walls to the East and West facing facades will be employed as a sustainable building component which filters light, enables cross-ventilation, reduces glare, improves air quality, reduces smells, controls rain water, and has cooling effects to improve thermal comfort.