Location: Phoenix, AZ
Our project was designed to be an environmentally friendly building with an energy-saving system. It is located in the desert climate of Phoenix, Arizona. Rammed earth was used for thick bearing walls to increase the thermal mass which could absorb heat during the day and release heat during the night. The courtyards between the classroom clusters are covered during the day by kinetic shading devices, which opens to the sky during the night. The plants in the courtyards provide evaporative cooling for the incoming air stream. Indoor and semi-outdoor spaces are connected by shaded structures that provide circulation paths and gathering spaces for pupils. Openings in the classroom for natural ventilation and a water collection system around the classroom for rainwater harvesting, were designed to improve the indoor environmental quality.
Dorit Aviv, Critic
Suryakiran Jathan Prabhakaran