Sustainable Community Building Design.

Learning Across Borders for Living Across Boundaries (LAB4LAB) was a UNICEF initiative for the four West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea. Prior to this initiative, these countries had been in and out of turmoil and strife, many times beginning in the borders of these countries. The plan was to develop a chain of schools with services and design, unlike anything nearby and to invest resources into these communities to stave off problems in the future.

We were brought on board this project initially as a fellow with Architecture for Humanity, the brain-child of TED-prize winner, Cameron Sinclair. We were set to live in and design the prototype primary and secondary school for the LAB4LAB program in Ganta, Liberia, a rural area in Nimba County,  along the border with Guinea. As part of the mission, we coordinated with many international and regional NGOs and the Ministry of Education to design the school. The school, built from soil-stabilized block, had an open-air community center, administrative building, clinic, computer center, cafeteria, coordinated rain water, and solar collection systems as well as many educational and environmental design features built into the project. 

In 2010 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President of Liberia came for the grand opening of the building to the community. It has also been awarded several design and sustainability awards.