Located in the third most populated city in Burkina Faso, Lycee Schorge Secondary School sets a new standard for educational excellence in the region, while providing an inspiring showcase of local building materials applied to an iconic and innovative design. The school consists of 9 modules arranged radially around a courtyard, protecting the central space from wind and dust. A series of steps creates a loosely defined amphitheater, which accommodates informal gatherings, as well as assemblies and celebrations for the school and wider community. The walls of each module are built out of locally sourced laterite stone, which gives them their striking, deep red color. When first extracted from the earth, laterite can be easily cut and shaped into blocks, which are then left in the sun to harden. The material provides an excellent source of thermal mass, absorbing the heavy daytime heat and radiating it at night. A secondary facade made of local eucalyptus wood wraps around the classrooms like a transparent fabric and creates a variety of shaded intermediary spaces between itself and the classrooms where students can gather informally to wait for their classes. In these spaces, the organic vertical elements produce a stunning play of light.
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