The Goal
We are building a self-contained campus with adequate resources to provide a high quality education for High School students in the Namulenga region of Malawi, none of which is presently available to young persons in that community at this time.
The Location
Among the numerous potential sites considered for the initial Catholic high school campus, Namulenga has been selected insofar as it is a flat land with fewer obstacles to construction than at other sites previously under consideration. This advantage is significant because there are already numerous other challenges to be overcome in this Project, as there would be at each and every one of the other sites. These include the absence of a skilled labor force, and supply chain limitations resulting in a scarcity of adequate building materials.
The Namulenga site design is roughly a square. It amounts to 39.5 acres or 160,000 square meters. The future campus is located on an unpaved road approximately two miles (three kilometers) from the nearest paved surface, which is characteristic for such initiatives in that part of Africa.
The Library
Because quality Catholic secondary education is the purpose of this TTE project, the Library is being designed as the core focus of the campus’ cross-shaped circulation grid. The building will be circular, in harmony with traditional round structures throughout Africa.
Unlike most school libraries in Malawi, which are only large enough for checking out books, this one will provide sufficient space for students to study and research projects. Moreover, because the Namulenga region is active seismically, the Library will be the only campus building with two stories. However, it and all other campus structures will be masonry construction, with a continuous reinforcement concrete wall beam above the opening height to resist strong earthquakes. In addition, because termites are an issue, roofs will have metal framing.
The Campus
Of greatest importance in the provision of good quality education is the ability to hire and develop well-qualified teachers. This remote site in Namulenga, with its lack of access to various amenities, will need to include certain appealing accommodations to attract capable faculty and staff. The availability of decent housing for these two groups will have appeal to fine applicants for positions at this High School, while allowing administrators to be more selective in hiring.
Initial students will be incorporated by class, with the first groups being freshmen and sophomores (Form 1 and Form 2). The following year, these same students will advance to sophomore and junior grades (Form 2 and Form 3), while another new class of freshmen (Form 1), will be admitted.
Classrooms are to be laid out in pairs in individual blocks, connected by covered pavilions that can double as outdoor instructional spaces. The covered walkways are meant to provide shelter from the sun and protection from torrential seasonal rains. The modular construction design will enable the campus to be expanded as the student body continues to grow. Once the initial structures have been constructed and furnished for the first two cohorts of students and for their teachers, the secondary school program can finally commence.
Besides the typical curriculum, this facility will also provide appealing and practical opportunities to learn other skills and trades. As a valued way to advance beyond traditional farming methods and skills, teaching/learning facilities will be established for computer science, sewing metal work and carpentry. The opportunity to master ‘real life skills” will provide greater incentives to remain enrolled in school. Because the campus is laid out as a pedestrian oasis, the technical buildings will be located along the sides of the campus that will provide adequate access to the nearby roadway.
The administration offices and a multipurpose Assembly Hall are to be located at the front of the campus facing the public access area. Classrooms are to be situated between the Library and the front entrance, and housing for students and faculty will be positioned along the sides. Sports and crop areas will be located at the rear of the campus.
Studies in Malawi have demonstrated that schools with boarding opportunities are far more successful than day-only schools. This is for several obvious reasons, that is, when students have to walk for up to two or three hours to reach their school, they arrive very tired. And then afterwards, they need to make the same arduous trip home. Typically when they finally reach home, they immediately need to undertake family chores, leaving inadequate time and energy for studies.
To overcome these difficulties, this TTE Catholic high school is intended primarily as a boarding school. The fundamental design is modular, to allow for expansion to accommodate additional students. Furthermore, the campus can be replicated at other sites in the Archdiocese of Blantyre, once this first one has been successfully financed, developed and launched.
Each hostel (dormitory) will house 112 students. In each structure, planned living accommodations will be for four students in each 9-foot x 12-foot (2.7m x 3.7m) room. In addition, the students will be responsible for the preparation of their own food and the cleaning of their clothes. There will be communal areas in the center of the hostels for these two activities.
To provide power for offering these various learning activities and a degree of energy independence for this site, elevated solar panel arrays are being proposed. The adjacent roadways allow easy service, and the central location will ensure the distribution of power to the many individual structures. It should be noted that there is power available from the local grid, but neither capacity nor reliability are stable. Fortunately, there is space available for later expansion of the solar arrays if judged to be advantageous.
The sidewalks between the various structures, will double as covers for utility trenches to distribute electric, water and technical services. It is important to note that at the center of the campus next to the Library is the central water tower. This tower will pressurize the water to the various buildings. Sanitary waste will be handled by tanks positioned near to the individual structures.