Formed
in
2005,
Hopley,
a
temporary
settlement
in
Zimbabwe’s
capital,
continues
to
grow
in
population
beyond
its
capacity.
It
was
created
to
foster
the
victims
of Operation
Murambatsvina—an
inhumane
slum-clearing
campaign
by
the
government
that
displaced
thousands
of
Zimbabweans
in
the African nation.
Already
lacking
adequate infrastructure and
basic
amenities
since
its
inception,
the
dire
living
conditions
in
Harare’s
suburbs
continue
to
plague
its
residents.
As
survival
became
a
struggle
with
the
displacement,
thousands
of
students
were
unable
to
go
to
school.
In
2010,
the
citizens
of
Hopley
took
the
initiative
and
founded
the
Rising
Star
School
to
ensure
that
children
got
access
to
education,
in
whatever
capacity
possible.
However,
the
lack
of
resources
limited
the
school’s
functioning,
with
tarpaulins
and
clay
shelters
being
employed
as
classrooms.
These
were
too
narrow,
had
little
light
and
offered
scant
protection
in
the
rainy
season.
The
resolution
of
Hopley’s
residents
was
confined
by
one
limitation—infrastructure.
arched
walkway
provides
shading
to
reduce
heat
gain
and
only
allow
diffused
sunlight
into
the
classroomsImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
In
2013,
the school’s
design and
construction
was
undertaken
by
German
NGO,
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V,
(Engineers
Without
Borders Germany).
The educational
architecture of
otherwise
austere
materiality
stands
out
as
a
behemoth
in
its
context
consisting
of
tiny residential
structures.
The
tale
of
its
conception
has
been
far
from
steady,
with
construction
unfolding
ever
so
slowly
over
seven
years
and
progressing
through
seven
phases
of
building.
School
is
made
of
almost
600,000
bricks,
laid
entirely
by
bricklayersImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
One
major
challenge
was
dealing
with
high
groundwater
levels
during
the
monsoon,
which
made
it
impossible
to
lay
the
foundations
during
or
right
after
the
season.
The
school’s
phase-wise
development
allowed
the
students
to
occupy
it
since
the
completion
of
its
first
phase.
The
organisation
described
it
as
‘everyday
co-existence’,
where
children
attended
classes
in
the
completed
portions
of
the
building
while
the
builders
continued
their
work
on
the
next
phase
work
on
the
next
phase
nearby.
Marked
by
perseverance
and
ingenuity
driven
by
a
lack
of
resources,
the
Rising
Star
School
Buildings
now
serves
as
Hopley’s
landmark,
with
its
characteristic brick
structure marked
by
arches.
-
The
school
building’s
brick
arches
provide
longer
spans
and
a
significantly
cheaper
alternative
to
wooden
beamsImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
The educational
institute consists
of
14
classrooms
situated
in
three
single-storey
volumes.
The Kindergarten is
housed
on
the
ground
floor
of
a
two-storey
structure,
where
the
first
level
is
occupied
by
the
school
administration
rooms.
The education
buildings take
into
account
the
inability
to
provide
active
solutions
for
thermal
comfort
and
hence,
heavily
incorporate
passive
solutions.
The educational
design reflects
an
influence
of
the
filigree architecture,
with
an
arched
walkway
protecting
the
classrooms
from
receiving
direct
solar
radiation
while
allowing natural
light to
enter.
Built
with
35mm
walls,
the
school
building
acts
as
a
heat
sink
during
the
day
and
maintains
better
ambient
temperature
and
the
openings
in
the facade
design and
outer
walls
promote
cross-ventilation.
A
double
roof
enhances
comfort
in
the
classrooms
by
allowing
hot
air
inside
the
building
to
escape,
letting
in
fresh
air
and
enabling
continuous
ventilation.
Designed
to
increase
building
spans,
the
arches
become
characteristic
of
the
buildings’
design;
Arched
walkways
and
strategic
openings
protect
the
classrooms
from
receiving
direct
solar
radiation
while
allowing
an
influx
of
natural
lightImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
With
a
lack
of
regulated
and
reliable
water
and
electricity
supply,
apart
from
inadequate
resources,
the
use
of
heavy
machinery
for
construction
was
impossible.
The brick
architecture is
entirely
handcrafted,
with
almost
6,00,000
bricks
being
laid
entirely
by
the
bricklayers
and
only
a
few
technical
devices
to
help
them
with
the
construction.
Sourced
from
a
nearby
brick
supplier,
these
were
licensed-fired
clay
bricks,
ensuring
the
high
strength
and
durability
necessary
for
the
arches’
construction.
openings
in
the
school’s
facade
allow
for
cross-ventilationImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
“This
is
why
the
quiet
construction
site,
from
which
Hopley‘s
new
centre
emerged
almost
imperceptibly,
is
no
less
impressive
than
the
result.
Details
of
connections
and
constructions
are
considered
and
optimised
over
the
course
of
the
seven-year
construction
period
and
finally
result
in
the
construction
of
the
two-storey
part,”
the
German
organisation
shares.
primary
school
becomes
Hopley’s
landmark
in
the
vicinity
of
smaller
residential
buildingsImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
With
the
dire
lack
of
resources
that
plagued
Hopley,
the
school’s
design
was
born
of
a
need
to
optimise
design
and
construction—as
even
the
use
of
brick
seemed
not
a
consideration,
but
an
inevitability.
Kristina
Ziadeh,
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.’s
architect
and
project
manager
for
the
school
tells
STIR:
“The
inspiration
for
the design lies
above
all
in
the
possibilities
of
the
materials
available
on-site
and
in
the
area
around.
At
the
start
of
the
project,
it
quickly
became
clear
that
brick
was
a
material
that
was
readily
available
and
could
be
an
exciting
material
for
school
construction
thanks
to
people’s
knowledge
of
how
to
build
with
it.
The
aim
was
also
to
utilise
all
the
possibilities
that
the
brick
itself
offers
in
construction.
For
example,
round
arches
made
it
possible
to
achieve
the
necessary
span
for
a
classroom.
The
succession
of
the
so-called
arched
walls
makes
it
possible
to
reduce
the
use
of timber,
which
is
readily
available
in
the
country
but
much
more
cost-intensive.”
School
carries
the
same
materiality
as
those
of
the
houses
in
HopleyImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
The
intangible
impact
of
the
project
was
also
focused
on
supporting
local
businesses,
retailers
and
workers.
Buying
all
building
materials
from
Harare,
the sustainable
structure was
constructed
by
builders
who
lived
in
the
school’s
immediate
vicinity—creating
jobs
in
a
low-income
neighbourhood
while
imbibing
a
sense
of
ownership
into
the
residents
that
ensured
future
maintenance.
The
official
statement
by
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
states,
“Our
goal
was
to
work
together
with
the
residents
of
the
settlement
on
an
equal
level.
We
worked
with
an
experienced
foreman,
bricklayers
and
a
large
number
of
young,
unskilled
assistants
and
offered
them
the
opportunity
to
learn
to
build.”
new
school
building
is
entirely
hand-craftedImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
Ziadeh
recounts
how
in
the
face
of
scarcity,
ingenuity
from
their
builders
enabled
them
to
be
resourceful
and sustainable in
their
design
approach.
“Instead
of
buying
a
product
on
the
market
or
in
stores
for
a
single
use,
we
often
improvised
and
made
our
tools—for
example,
various
tools
for
compacting
the
soil.
A
piece
of
an
old
railway
track
was
turned
into
a
rammer
by
the
local
welder,
or
one
of
the
water
drums
that
was
no
longer
needed
was
filled
with concrete and
fitted
with
a
handle
made
of
reinforcing steel bars.
This
resulted
in
a
roller
for
large-scale
compaction,”
she
elaborates.
from
a
nearby
brick
supplier,
the
licensed-fired
clay
bricks
ensure
the
high
strength
and
durability
necessary
for
the
arches’
constructionImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
Often,
an
architect’s
vision—alongside
the
veiled
superiority
complex—convinces
them
that
‘their
designs’
are
going
to
make
the
world
a
better
place,
often
blinding
them
to
the
realities
of
the
world.
Even
as
the
Rising
Star
School
spans
expansively
in
its
context,
it
does
not
exhibit
unachievable
fantasy.
Built
of
the
same brick as
every
house
in
Hopley,
the
school
showcases
the
potential
of
grit
and
evokes
a
sense
of
aspiration
and
hope.
Star
School
Buildings
for
Hopley:
Site
plan;
floor
plan;
elevation
(north);
elevation
(west);
section
(single);
section
(double)
from
a
nearby
brick
supplier,
the
licensed-fired
clay
bricks
ensure
the
high
strength
and
durability
necessary
for
the
arches’
constructionImage:
Courtesy
of
Ingenieure
ohne
Grenzen
e.V.
An
exemplary
specimen
that
reflects
a
deeply
embedded
ethos
of community engagement,
the
Rising
Star
School
Buildings
in
Hopley
serves
as
a
beacon
of
hope.
Ziadeh
shared
the
lessons
she
learned:
“Even
if
something
seems
too
complex,
a
solution
can
still
be
found.
I
am
very
grateful
for
my
experience
of
working
and
living
in
a
strong
community.
I
really
appreciate
the
fact
that
there
is
always
someone
who
can
give
you
a
helping
hand.”
Source:
Hope
with
every
brick:
Zimbabwe’s
Rising
Star
School
overcomes
resource
scarcity
Sejal Patel is
Jordan
