CORNELL UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABLE DESIGN | PROJECT TEAM
ARCHITECTS: WHITNEY VAN HOUTEN, DANIEL PRESTON, GREG KELLER, ANAMIKA GOYAL, ALEX ZINK, ISA HUBSCHI
Sustainable Education Ghana began as a human-centered and sustainable design and construction mission to create an empowering learning environment for girls in Sogakope, Ghana. With the help of the stakeholders, Voices of African Mothers - a small United Nations NGO which runs programs focusing on health, peace, equality, and women's empowerment - we conducted in depth research into sustainable precedents, cultural principles, and the practical needs of a school in the region. Among the environmental considerations given in the design's infrastructure include water collection systems, optimal air flow strategies, solar farms, and passive cooling towers. The master plan design of the school includes, in addition to the six new classrooms, a library, a community health center, a covered gathering space, courtyard, and a soccer pitch. Construction is set to begin in early 2017.