Spec Go Green International Awards 2019

On January 8th, 2020, the Etania Green School won the first prize in the sixth International Spec Go Green Awards 2019. It is a prestigious architectural award for young professionals and students of architecture in Asia encouraging a future of green building and green architecture. The Spec Go Green Awards selects projects that make significant contributions to the socio-economic development, whereby the responsibility for the environment and sustainable development can be demonstrated.

The jury panel in 2019 comprised of Nguyen Tien Thuan, Nguyen Hoang Manh, Douglas Lee Snyder, Gyanendra Singh Shekhawat, and was headed by Dr. Nirmal Kishnani. He commented: ““This year the competition made new progress. One of them is the participation of many international entries. The submissions show us the new solutions, the scale of the project and most importantly the role of ecology in sustainability.”

Etania Green Schools

The  Etania schools  are learning centres for their children, who have no access to education until a school begins for them .In collaboration with billionBricks, we designed the schools as a playscape for students. The school with its many ladders, staircases and corridors becomes the playground itself. It combines work and play so that students not only use it during classes but during the recess as well. They instil a sense of adventure and curiosity while bolstering their creativity and companionship. The building not only provides classrooms, but becomes place for exploration and overcoming challenges. The spaces are flexible, so that the teachers can teach multiple age groups at once.

The students seem to take great pride in the school. According to the teachers, it has completely changed the way they study and interact with their teachers. The structure houses a library which the students can access from the mound that it rests on. The wide verandah that connects the classrooms provides space for unexpected events.

Because of its sustainable design, the students enjoy a comfortable and serene learning environment. Due to the orientation of the structure it avoids direct sunlight and also receives a cool draft from the river. In additional the school has made use of recyclable materials. Shipping containers reduced the need for additional structural supporting members and prevent the school from flooding.