Pavilion Project | 2009 | Kenya, Africa  Oloika Primary School sits amidst acacia trees, cracked boulders and the bone-dry surroundings of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. The school has been operating for three decades yet has never had a kitchen nor a dining hall. renée del gaudio architecture designed and built a multi-use pavilion for Oloika Primary in partnership with the World Leadership School. The pavilion is the school’s first space for storing, preparing and serving food.

The pavilion is built with Compressed Earth Block (CEB) walls to develop a sustainable construction model for the community. On-site soil is mixed with a small quantity of cement to create the building blocks, which dramatically reduces transportation and building material costs. The thick walls create thermal mass, protecting the building from extreme temperatures. Doors and windows are constructed with locally harvested cane. Building orientation and a carefully positioned acacia tree provide further shade.

PROJECT COMPLETION IS SCHEDULED FOR SUMMER 2010

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