DJILAKH SECONDARY SCHOOL
The project’s layout draws from Djilakh’s organic settlement patterns, allowing the buildings to follow the natural terrain and maintain a sense of familiarity for the community. A sequence of new classroom blocks creates a physical and symbolic link between the primary and secondary schools. At the same time, the library and main hall are oriented to welcome both students and villagers. Together, these structures loosely frame a central courtyard that fosters movement, interaction, and a sense of communal belonging. An orchard behind the library supports outdoor learning,
and a small animal farm near the latrines creates future potential for sustainable nutrient and biomass cycles.
Architecturally, the project relies on the Nubian vault technique, an ancient, timber-free building method that has endured for millennia and is already used in Djilakh. Its reliance on earth, simple tools, and local labor ensures durability, affordability, and long-term replicability. Color-coded openings aid intuitive wayfinding, while patterned screen walls reinterpret regional motifs
to enhance ventilation and shading. Outdoor benches and bamboo canopies provide comfortable, shaded gathering areas.
A hybrid structural system allows the vaults to achieve wider spans with minimal concrete, and the use of earth bricks offers thermal mass. The design also anticipates future needs: classrooms can be vertically expanded with a limited footprint increase. Integrated rainwater strategies – rain gardens, swales, and orchard irrigation – capture and reuse runoff throughout the site.
Program: secondary school
Size: 4200 m2
Year: 2025
Location: Thies, Casamance region, Senegal
