Cool Schools for Hot Suburbs

Abstract

Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 13 No. 1 (2003) ISSN: 1546-2250 Cool Schools for Hot Suburbs Dierkx, René (2002). Eindhoven, The Netherlands: Bouwstenen Publicatieburo; 269 pages. $NPL. ISBN 190-6814567-3. In the most ambitious doctoral dissertationeither reviewer has ever seen, René Dierkx undertakes an extremelydetailed and comprehensive study of the current problems facing primaryeducation in Nairobi and develops alternative models for economicallyviable, sustainable and environmentally sensitive schools. Though written as a dissertation for critique by anacademic architectural design doctoral committee in the Netherlands,architects and educators interested in African education and schoolfacility design in general will find this exhaustive dissertationhelpful. Those interested in the process of translating cultural values(including sustainability) into architectural design determinants foreducation will find the section on school development models mostuseful and thoroughly articulated for African values. The method ofcultural value extrapolation is useful for any stakeholder seeking totranslate cultural context into the design of learning environments. René Johny Dierkx first studied mechanical engineering beforedeveloping an interest in alternative energy systems as well as graphicand spatial design. This combination of interests led him into thefield of architecture at Delft University where he received an MSc. inArchitecture, Urban Design and Housing of Developing Countries. Dierkxhas spent time in Africa, where he worked on community developmentprojects and collected data on school conditions in Nairobi whilewriting articles for the Eindhoven University Peace Center. Currentlyhe is carrying out research on educational facilities in conflict andpost-conflict situations in the Great Lakes region of Africa. 260 Dierkx undertakes an extremely detailed and comprehensivestudy of the current problems facing primary education in Nairobi anddevelops alternative models for economically viable, environmentallyand culturally sensitive, and sustainable schools. This sounds ratherstraightforward until one considers the present deplorable conditionsfor school children in Nairobi, the city’s escalating populationgrowth, its economic forecast, and the politically-driven,culturally-based intransigence of Nairobi school development inNairobi. Using detailed data to support his assumptions and assertions,the author skillfully lays the groundwork for his study, describes hismethodology, discusses his findings and presents an inclusive modelthat is both economically sound and environmentally responsive. Perhaps the most important contribution of the thesis is the suggestionthat much of the work in improving the schools and even in building newones can be done inexpensively by communities using models devised byDierkx. He offers a thorough review of the literature on sustainabledevelopment, education, technology, and architecture. For the empiricalwork on Nairobi schools, Dierkx uses several methods of data collectionand analysis, including a survey, a design workshop with children, sitevisits, interviews, observation, video, and direct work with communitygroups, relying on qualitative and multivariate analyses. He made adocumentary on the state of Nairobi’s schools, and carefully examinedUNESCO, (UNESCO-Dakar World Education forum) UNICEF, World Bank andlocal political and economic reports in Kenya and elsewhere to build afoundation for his study. This is not the kind of document one wants to skim. Some words, grammarand punctuation are lost in translation and keep the reader alert.Often the reader finds himself longing for anchoring- as in jazzimprovisation that wanders too far afield. Nevertheless, each chapterrecaptures its course and steadily assembles a sturdy foundation. Coupled with the chapter on children’s developmental rightsand the 261 reiteration of Norbeerg-Schulz existentialistic philosophy,Gestalt’s laws of visual perception, the psychology of Piaget, Lynch’sspirit of place and Alexander’s pattern language, his best contributionis a set of original models that are formed from his literature searchand the translation of his cultural data into architecture. Heillustrates and describes the symbolic meaning of several modelsappropriate for Africa. These models reflect tribal values of harmony between man and nature,and describe materials that are indigenous to Africa. Most of theproposed school models are not rectilinear forms, but rather providecircular configurations and axes reminiscent of school and buildingplans of Native Americans. Could it be all school planners need to lookat more primitive or indigenous cultures’ “at-one-ment” with nature inmaster planning for a more healthful way to live and accommodate theeducational process for children, on every continent? There are no other works like this dissertation. Neither theCouncil for Educational Facilities International nor UNICEF hasproduced anything as inclusive as this report. The extensive datacollection in this dissertation will be a valuable source for...