WoodBox Classroom | Bruno Araújo Ribeiro

WOOD BOX CLASSROOM RURAL CLASSROOM ADDITION – UGANDA portable + adaptable + evolutive + playable Presentation This Project aims to create a classroom model that can be implemented in several places, so we must provide the necessary tools for adapt to different environments, climates and places. Wood Box Portable Classroom is a proposed design that could benefit all children equally, so it has to incorporate them in school education, which undoubtedly is the best way to help the society’s development, the best answer to the problems of the past, present and future and a way to give a brighter future for all of them. The School is a Fundamental Right of the Children and the entire human being, so it must respect itself. “No child in Africa, and in fact anywhere in the world, should be denied education.“ “It is my passion that every child in Africa goes to school.“ Nelson Mandela Objectives and Motives The basis of the project begins with the non-place concept. In fact, the possibility of the classroom to be erected in any geographical point creates the need to be very flexible and adaptable in order to respond more effectively to the various requests. In this way, it is very important that can be easily built, refurbished, recycled and reusable through the simple process and with materials that can meet in the various regions. It´s extremely important that such classroom can be portable to give the opportunity to provide education for the children that live in places with short materials, can and should be quickly available and deployed in a place that suffers any natural disaster either in refugee’s camps or in any other hard circumstances, as a preventive measure, by governments and humanitarian organizations, for example. The classroom should also be able to be built in places with the local labours and materials, providing a way to integrate the local community with the school environment. The construction process is a simple system that can be learned easily by local labours so they can later maintain the classroom and repair any need by a short training providing them the necessary skills and know-how and permits to unfold or create more classrooms to create a village school. These options (portable system and build in place) become vital in this type of projects where it is necessary to take into account the budgets and costs for construction and maintenance. The Wood Box Classroom Wood Box Classroom is a portable structure able to be transported to any place, for this purpose I think the best way to travel is using airways, like by airplanes to transport several Boxes to a distributional spot or by helicopter to one specific deployable spot. The Wood Box has 3,30 x 6,60 x 3,75m dimensions for transportation, then is unfold for a final form with 11,40 x 6,60 x 3,75m dimensions. To meet the requirements the Wood Box Classroom should be done with an easy access material and can be restored in nature, thus to draw attention to the ecological and environmental issues - the wood. This is a material than can be found in lots of places and can be added some programmes to plant as much as the number of trees that were used in the process construction. (With Timber Plantations Programme in Uganda I propose the use of Pinus caribaea because have good results on Tropical Regions) The entire structure and coatings will have this material and can be combined or changed in a place where there are other similar materials and easier access. The Wood Box is divided in four parts, corresponding to the structure. The wood block allows store teach aids equipment, the BOX can store educational equipment and furniture to leave the room free (dry zone) and store equipment such as tanks and water treatment scheme and sinks (wet zone). The extended part of the volume (which is the other three servings) becomes an element "transparent" in the volume, which allows the volume blending with the landscape to be pierced by it. The intention of this open area for the exterior is to allow the free air circulation that is indispensable in tropical climates, these voids can be controlled by wooden window with adjustable blades in the back and flaps shade in the front windows. It can be added spans of glass, blinds or curtains. Combining boxes with functions, such as bathrooms, kitchens and meal areas, administrative offices, libraries or common areas, maintain this open area relation create an uniform language throughout the school building. The environment is valued, bringing the outside to inside and showing the school to the community. This relationship aims to show the importance of education for all people, an invitation and an encouragement to those who not have school education, showing safety and all other social relations that do not broadcast environments. It´s essential create residences for students, teachers and all staff elements of the village school to ensure protection and education for orphaned, unhealthy and atrocities victims. The Wood Box Classroom has an evolutional, flexible and adaptable concept. In same way is playable for the children that can live the Wood Box like a home feeling. Portable system - Construction Process This system is the fastest way to secure the education access in emergency and chronicle situations or in places with little resources. Create a concentrate area for materials and labour, can serve to train the labour-process in place to build the Wood Box Classroom and then build more classrooms and create a Village School. The volume will be based on pillars that make it out 50cm of soil. These pillars will have wood metal shoes in order to distribute the weight of the volume in a more diffuse way and protects the wood in contact with moist soil, usually in these regions, and providing extra security against attacks by insects and fungi. These support bases are situated a few centimetres below the surface in more compact soil. The breakdown of the volume, moves through the guide rails remaining frames to places of their settlement, making the wooden locks and then to consolidate the entire structure. This volume is built as a box in pillar - the beam and extended with three "frames", so, it appears that there is a solid part that allows the transmission, and a more flexible area for the deployment of the volume, in addition there may be cases where it will be necessary to transport the entire volume removed, thus it is also allowed because the nature of the structure, based on independent parts. This wooden box is lined with planks of wood with 15 x 2cm in width from the outside and inside, and a support structure for supporting wood or metal and thermal and acoustic insulation, the type of rock wool, to protect from hot sun of the west. The cover is made of metallic sandwich panels with acoustic insulation and heat (as mentioned above), which is brought by the volume and a surface material with Shade the region that can be easily reattached, like bamboo, straw or sticks of wood based on cables stretched along the crossing structure of the volume. The box-to-air created between these two layers, will never be less than 15cm in order to not create a barrier to the movement of air preventing possible overheating. When the air speed is reduced, the isolation of the metal plate that prevents air passing into the classroom. In situations where the construction of the classroom is in place and is not possible to use sheet metal, it is advisable to use a waterproof canvas based on a flat and inclined to avoid any exchange capable of accumulation of water, otherwise will bring over a volume strips of wood where the canvas will be stretched, that in order to cross the volume. After placing the deck and the roof, through a guide rail there is the vain and fit it properly other elements. When available, the glass will be in vain to run, to be collected into the solid structure of the volume, allowing a total opening of the classroom to the outside. Doors of wood to the south (in the southern hemisphere, doors to the north in the northern hemisphere), to protect the interior from rain, while facilitating the movement of air, and secondly, the volume close to the outside. These doors have horizontal blades adjustable by the user to control the movement of air, in addition, it should be noted that in equatorial areas, at certain times of year there is sun in the front that usually is more shaded. In the most exposed façade to solar radiation are taken blades shades in the control of the interior solar radiation, protecting also the porch of access volume. These two elements can be folded at any time so the closing volume (at night). Construction in place This is the opportunity to the local labours interview on school environment and personalizes the Wood Box Classroom. The easy systems adopted for the classroom giver this opportunity and allow to use some other materials, using the same system. All systems can and should provide energy solar systems, treatment and supply clean water and telecommunications. The treatment to clean water with UV system is one with low maintenance and costs, the Portable Wood Box have one water tank but if it doesn’t have any treatment system, the water only can be used for washes and toilettes.