Huts resembling vernacular architectures prevalent in Kenya—namely Maasai bomas and manyattas—dot a forest clearing in a residential neighbourhood in Nairobi. Arranged in neat clusters, these structures are designed to function as "a small village for children" housing the Nairobi Waldorf School. The formal aesthetic of the makeshift forms, constructed from polycarbonate sheets and wooden logs that wrap around their base, allow the buildings to camouflage themselves into their verdant contexts. They appear almost as if forgotten, unused and devoid of life, when in fact, the very opposite is true. The makeshift nature of the school, deliberately employed due to lease and cost constraints, is evident through its construction.

The understated educational architecture, strategically placed in clearings within the forest, showcases the architects' primary conceptual principle for the design—fostering a connection to the natural world. As the team elaborates in conversation with STIR, "The project was designed to minimise environmental impact while integrating seamlessly into the dense forest. Instead of clearing large areas, the classrooms were dispersed in natural clearings to preserve as much existing vegetation as possible." This guiding criterion is channelled into the rest of the project as well. "The construction materials were chosen for sustainability, including locally sourced red laterite soil from the site excavations for the ‘living walls’ and recyclable polycarbonate for transparency and efficiency," the team mentions.

Around 24 classrooms of varying organic shapes—a call back to the spiral morphology of the vernacular houses the project draws on—are bundled in different groups around the plot. A comprehensible zoning scheme that divides the clusters into pre-primary, primary and secondary classrooms is delineated, which creates pockets of enclosed open spaces wherein children can play safely. While the classrooms are set back from the entry—peeking through the dense foliage—mitigating noise and allowing children independence to roam around without harm, a central drop-off area opens to an existing structure. With a lofty roof supported by tall wooden logs, this educational building accommodates additional activity areas, classrooms and services.

The most distinct feature of the school design—its focus on materiality—is evident in the design team’s experimentations. Part of this inquisitive approach led to the development of the ‘living walls’ employed as the structural element for the classrooms. "The 'living walls' are an innovative architectural feature made by enclosing the site's red laterite soil between two translucent polycarbonate sheets. Over time, these walls host natural processes, including the presence of microorganisms, plant roots and small insects, making the walls a dynamic and evolving habitat," the architects state, explaining the logic of these elements. "This serves as an educational tool, allowing students to observe biological cycles firsthand. The transparency of the polycarbonate provides visual access to the textures and life within the walls, fostering curiosity, ecological awareness and respect for nature." These distinguish the classrooms from conventional brick-and-mortar shells, providing a more interactive learning environment. Vitally, the construction of these was a collaborative exercise involving children, parents and teachers associated with the school.

Apart from the conscious use of ecological materials for the project, such as wood and earth for the living walls, the architects ensure passive techniques lend to a resource and cost-efficient design. Where the polycarbonate sheets ensure natural light filters into the interiors, the suspended roof lets in ventilation. Further, the intent was to recycle wherever possible. Former school buildings were dismantled, wooden floors and walls became parapets and roof tiles were repurposed as path boundaries, as the team details in the concept note. This resourcefulness led to a cost-efficient design, with a cost of $250 per square metre. The constraint imposed by the lease on the plot of 10 years further implored the team to develop an architecture of ephemerality, with the structure either having to be easily dismantlable or, on the other hand, regenerative. Due to this constraint, the team ingeniously used discarded materials, as noted. As the team elaborates on their emphasis on lightness, "While the exact future location of the school remains uncertain, there is hope that it will secure a similar plot within the same neighbourhood to maintain continuity for students and the community. Given the institution’s educational philosophy, which emphasises adaptability, sustainability and a close connection to nature, any future relocation is likely to follow a similar approach."

As they suggest, "This means that the design principles used in this project—lightweight and locally sourced materials, passive environmental strategies and a collaborative construction process—could be adapted and reimplemented in a new setting." Considering not only the constraints of the natural but also temporal in the conception of the school, the Nairobi Waldorf presents a pertinent model tailored specifically to the demands of its context. Through considerations that navigate between ecological and efficient, it attempts not only to tread lightly but leave a weighty impact on the students’ experience.

Project Details

Name: Nairobi Waldorf School
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Design Team: Jaime Velasco (lead architect), Kelvin N'dungu, Esther Karanja, Nicholas Simwichi, Linda Muriuki
Collaborators:
Construction of Phase 1: Totemic Construction Ltd
Construction of Lab and Classroom Prototype: Design Tone Ltd
Structural & Civil Engineering: JK Africa
MEP Engineering: AR Engineering
Quantity Surveying: CMAS Quantity Surveying
Area: 3,162 sq m
Year of Completion: 2024