Floating school project in Bangladesh wins Aga Khan Architecture Award. Two persons Razia Alam and Saif Ul Haque are behind this project.
About Floating school project
‘The Arcadia Education Project’ in South Kanarchor of Bangladesh is an innovative concept. It is an amphibious school built with local material and expertise near the capital city Dhaka.
The floating school is unique in its design and novel in its concept. The school also serves as a shelter, a day care centre and a vocational training centre for the local people.
The project involved construction of a school in an area which is under water during the monsoon months. The architect of the project Saif Ul Haque designed a school which remains on the ground during dry season and floats on water when the area is submerged in water during monsoon. He utilised only the local material-bamboo, used tyres and steel drums for constructing the amphibious structure for school. The workforce and artisans for the project were also drawn locally.
The project has been lauded for its contribution to improve the lives of rural students coming from poor families. The school provides an open, connected space to provide a conducive atmosphere for the children.
The Aga Khan Foundation in its citation lauded the project for its contribution to improve people’s lives, social and economic development, access to education in rural communities and global issues like rising water levels.
