MUTARE, ZIMBABWE

PROJECT PROPOSAL

THE KNOWLEDGE CENTER

CLASS - SAKUBVA SECONDARY SCHOOL

STRATEGY

WHAT WE BELIEVE

The mainstay of Seeds of Africa is promoting education among underprivileged members of society. We subscribe to the philosophy of “development through education” - that education is the most powerful and effective way to bring sustainable change, independence, innovation and prosperity. We believe in the power of education to end pov-erty, bring enlightenment and to transform lives.

Seeds of Africa is thus a publicly supported, non-profit organization that supports economically disadvantaged pri-mary and secondary school students, specifically in Mutare, Zimbabwe to achieve their academic dreams. Having realized that only 41%* of students continue their education after primary school in Mutare, we are firmly dedicated to gathering the resources students need to achieve this goal. We believe that the lack of resources should not be a hindrance to students who are eager to receive an education, and that every student in Zimbabwe does indeed have the right to access all educational resources for the sake of a full and holistic educational experience.

At the heart of Seeds of Africa are native Zimbabweans and other volunteers who are passionate about providing comprehensive education to those who cannot otherwise afford it. Our team consists of individuals on the ground that identify needs and appropriately distribute resources, and teams in the United States and Australia that evaluate, strategize, and support the work on the ground.

*FIGURE FROM 2005 DATA

We do not seek to merely help students afford school. Rather, we seek to support a complete educational experience. We are also not a school - instead, we seek to be a mechanism that will ensure more complete delivery of education in conjunction with materially limited, local educational systems.

Our primary goal therefore, is to implement and support a complete experience through provision and access to educational resources.

STRATEGY: RESOURCES

1 IDENTIFY 2 FACILITATE 3 INVEST 4 ENGAGE 5 GROW

IDENTIFY UNDERPRIVILEGED STUDENTS + SCHOOLS

FACILIATE SPONSORSHIP, CONNECTIVITY + ONE-TO-ONE ENGAGEMENT TO THE WORLDWITH INTERACTIVE WEB-BASED PORTAL

INVEST INTO KNOWLEDGE CENTER, DIGITALTECHNOLOGIES, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, + ACCESS TO PORTAL

ENGAGE LOCAL SCHOOLS, STAKEHOLDERS, + COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DETERMINESPECIFIC NEEDS

GROW OUTREACH BY PROVIDING NETWORKEDCOMPUTER LABS AT PARTNER SCHOOLS. ALSODEPLOYING NEW KNOWLEDGE CENTERS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES

SCHOOLSTUDENT

INTERNETRESOURCE

INTERNETRESOURCE

INTERNETRESOURCE

KNOWLEDGE CENTER

SPONSOR

MENTOR

SPONSOR

COMMUNITY

STAKEHOLDERS

SCHOOLS

LOCAL HUB

LOCAL HUB

LOCAL HUB

GROWTH STRATEGY PROGRESSIONSEEDS OF AFRICA

Resources come in many forms, and while we will support students through means such as financial needs and ma-terial needs, the fundamental focus of Seeds of Africa will be in the investment of technology.

Primarily, the goal is to provide a core set of digital-based, educational tools that can implement the educational strategy of Seeds of Africa. These will include resources such as digital libraries, reference databases, communica-tion tools for access to mentors, and access to distance learning programs.

The provision of these resources will begin centrally in what we’ve come to call the Knowledge Center. The knowledge center will be a hub, or a seed investment into the community. The idea is for this seed investment to become rooted through the local context, and to mature like a tree that reaches with its branches to connect and to propel students towards their futures.

THE KNOWLEDGE CENTER

DIGITAL HUB ROOT - STUDENTS

ROOT - SCHOOLS

ROOT - COMMUNITY

- IT INFRASTRUCTURE- COMPUTER LABS- VIDEO-CONFERENCING- ON-SITE DIGITAL RESOURCES- ON-SITE PRINT MATERIALS- EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS- WIRELESS RESOURCES- E-BOOKS / REFERENCES

1 SEED INVESTMENTTHE INITIAL INVESTMENT WILL BE MADE TO PROVIDE A CORE OF DIGITAL + TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL TOOLS / TECHNOLOGIES

KNOWLEDGE CENTER CORE STRATEGY

2 LOCALIZED ROOTSTHE KNOWLEDGE CENTER DEVELOPS AS ACUSTOMIZABLE FRAMEWORK IN ORDER TO ALLOW ITS PROGRAM TO SUIT LOCAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

3 GROWING BRANCHESTHE KNOWLEDGE CENTER INTERCONNECTS STUDENTS, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES WITH ITS REACHING BRANCHESTO A GLOBAL NETWORK

KNOWLEDGE CENTER

REMOTE RESOURCEREMOTE RESOURCE

SPONSOR / MENTOR

EDUCATIONAL GRAPHIC - SAKUBVA SECONDARY SCHOOL

PROGRAM

In order for Seeds of Africa to achieve the intended educational effects of the Knowledge Center, the program must then be practical, useful, and holistic.

For this to be possible, our goal is to implement the Knowledge Center program within a new facility in which students, teachers, and the local community can easily access and experience a complete but compact spectrum of programs, as detailed on the right. These programs will then be organized into the 3 following categories:

1) Programs that provide learning opportunities through resources

2) Programs that facilitate growth of knowledge through technology

3) Programs that enable opportunity for engagement with others

THE PROGRAM

DIGITAL HUB

LIBRARY

LEARNINGTHROUGH RESOURCES

THROUGH TECHNOLOGYFACILATING

ENGAGINGWITH OTHERS

COMMUNITY LEARNING

ACADEMIC2 INTERACTIVE CLASSROOMS WITHCOMPUTER LABS + VIDEO CONFERENCING

GENERAL STACKS SPACE + PRIVATE STUDY CARRELS

IT HUB WITH SERVERS STORING DIGITAL RESOURCES + DISTRIBUTION SATELLITE

SEEDS OF AFRICA STAFF OFFICES + SECURITY CENTER

MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE WITH COMPUTER KIOSKS FOR GENERAL RESOURCE ACCESS, ADAPTABLE FOR ORGANIZED COMMUNITY OR SEEDS OF AFRICA EVENTS

UNPROGRAMMED SPACE FOR INFORMAL STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION

RETAIL SPACE SERVING FOOD AND BEVERAGES FOR STUDENTS USING FACILITY

ADMINISTRATION

INTERACTION ZONE

CAFE

KNOWLEDGE CENTER PROGRAM COMPONENTS

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

The individual experience of our programs will be unique for every student, and our goal is to ensure that this experi-ence will be effective and holistic no matter who it is. To that end, the program that we intend to include as part of the Knowledge Center must be organized efficiently, and in a way that is accessible throughout.

As shown in the graphic to the right, the organizational principles are thus the following:

1) Students will always have their educational experience through an opportunity for engagement.

2) Every program will be experienced through the facilitation of the digital hub.

3) Learning will always occur in direct relationship to engagement and facilitation.

LEARN

KNOWLEDGE CENTER PROGRAMMATIC ARRANGEMENT

FACILATE

ENGAGE

DIGITAL HUB ADMINISTRATION

LIBRARY

CAFE COMMUNITY LEARNING

ACADEMIC

STUDENT

INTERACTION ZONE

AERIAL PERSPECTIVE - NORTH ELEVATION

ARCHITECTURE

PLACE + CONTEXT

The Knowledge Center will be located in one of the most beautiful places in Zimbabwe - just to the west of the city-center of Mutare, between the neighborhoods of Sakubva to the south and Chikanga to the north. The location was strategically chosen given its proximity to these neighborhoods, which are both among the most desperately in need of educational investment in the region.

SITE

SAKUBVA

CHIKANGA

DOWNTOWNMUTARE

SATELLITE AERIAL MUTARE, ZIMBABWE

N

The site is also strategic in that it is directly adjacent to a familiar path among locals, which connects the two neighbor-hoods of Sakubva and Chikanga together. This frequency of pedestrian movement with the Knowledge Center always present is a unique opportunity to ensure usage and exposure to the local communities.

PANORAMIC VIEW FACING NORTH FROM SITE

Resources come in many forms, and while we will support students through means such as financial needs and ma-terial needs, the fundamental focus of Seeds of Africa will be in the provision of technology.

Primarily, the goal is to provide a core set of digital-based, educational tools that can implement the educational strategy of Seeds of Africa. These will include resources such as digital libraries, reference databases, communica-tion with mentors, and distance learning programs.

The provision of these resources will begin centrally in what we’ve come to call the Knowledge Center. The knowledge center will be a hub, or a seed investment into the community. The idea is for this seed investment to become rooted through the local context, and to mature like a tree that reaches with its branches to connect and to propel students towards their future.

PERSPECTIVE FRONT ELEVATION

DESIGN CONCEPTThe architecture of the Knowledge Center is designed in a manner that seeks to support, inspire and further the pur-suit of the educational goals. While the building certainly serves a practical, functional purpose of allowing program to operate efficiently, the architecture is also designed such that it is also considerate of what it represents for Zimbabwe - an investment into the future betterment of this unique and hopeful society.

GREEN ROOFCOMMUNITY GATHERINGSPACE

MULTI-PURPOSEHALL

TUTORING SPACEADMIN OFFICES

SERVERROOM

STORAGE COMPUTERRESOURCE LAB

COMPUTERRESOURCE LAB

CHECK-IN

LIBRARY

1ST LEVEL

PERSPECTIVE MULTI-PURPOSE HALL

The Knowledge Center is composed of a series of unique spaces, serving several different programmatic functions. Common among these is the use of open yet softly lit space, sloped yet lifted roofs, and terracing floors against a rising hillside which collectively reinforce the exciting experience of education.

SPATIAL EXPERIENCE

GREEN ROOFCOMMUNITY GATHERINGSPACE

MULTI-PURPOSEHALL

TUTORING SPACEADMIN OFFICES

SERVERROOM

STORAGE COMPUTERRESOURCE LAB

COMPUTERRESOURCE LAB

CHECK-IN

LIBRARY

KEY PLANSECTION PERSPECTIVE THROUGH MULTI-PURPOSE HALL + COMPUTER LAB

MULTI-PURPOSE HALL

COMPUTER LAB

LIBRARY STUDYAREA

OPEN TOBELOW

COMMUNITY GATHERINGSPACE

INTERNET CAFE

INTERNET CAFE

MULTI-PURPOSEHALL

2ND LEVELGROUND LEVEL

PERSPECTIVE LIBRARY

To support the vision of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Knowledge Center program, the architecture is designed in a way such that the building itself can also be assured of its longevity. The concept is developed through consideration of principles of regionalism, which are specifically: 1) environmental context; 2) material context; and 3) cultural context.

SUSTAINABILITY

GREEN ROOFCOMMUNITY GATHERINGSPACE

MULTI-PURPOSEHALL

TUTORING SPACEADMIN OFFICES

SERVERROOM

STORAGE COMPUTERRESOURCE LAB

COMPUTERRESOURCE LAB

CHECK-IN

LIBRARY

KEY PLANSECTION PERSPECTIVE THROUGH INTERNET CAFE + LIBRARY

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXTThe orientation, exposure to sun, and heating/cooling strategies of the building - these are just several exam-ples that fall within this category. The design incorpo-rates fundamental sustainable energy practices and guiding factors in order to reduce the negative impact of the building on the environment.

MATERIALITY CONTEXTThe majority of construction materials for the Knowledge Center are to be locally sourced and harvested. The structure will consist of locally grown timber, and the base walls and floors constructed of locally quarried stone. This allows for the reduction of costs for material transport had they been imported from elsewhere. `

CULTURAL CONTEXTThe Knowledge Center will inevitably serve as a cultural icon for both its visual apperance as well as its lasting educational legacy. As such, the design seeks to incorporates references to regional, cultural icons, while integrating principles of contemporary design.

INTERNET CAFE

LIBRARY STUDY AREA