Harare International School

Narratives

Architect Narrative

HARARE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Background

Founded in September 1992 HIS is an American sponsored co-educational school, for the children of the international expatriate community in Zimbabwe.

In 1994 the School purchased a twenty-acre site in Mount Pleasant for a day school of about 500 students to be built in phases over 5 years. In consultation with the School a master plan was produced. Construction of the first new building, the Junior School, commenced in November 1994 and full development realised with the completion of the Auditorium in 2002. (83)

Design Philosophy

One of the design requirements was to provide a congenial teaching environment. This was achieved through using roof-lights that provide natural light and ventilation enhanced by deep overhanging roofs for sun-shading and heat gain control. More importantly, passive ventilation system in the Middle School, High School and the Performing Arts Centre was adopted create internal microclimates.

The Middle School benefited from a simple cooling system. As a didactic exercise, students are involved in monitoring the data obtained from the experimental test bed and control panels set up conspicuously on site. This information was used in the design of succeeding phases.

The passive ventilation principle employed relies on capturing nighttimes “coolth” for beneficial release during the following day achieved by “coolth” contained in rock stores below ground. Cool night air is blown through the building via the rock stores, cooling down both the rocks and exposed building structure and fabric. During daytime, air is blown through the system at a lesser rate thus cooling the classrooms. In winter, the rocks which will be warmer than the classroom spaces heat the air supply.

Site and Landscaping

The site is disposed to separate the noisy playgrounds from the quiet academic spaces. The central route down the length of the campus links the quiet academic area and the noisy playgrounds and car parking located between the classrooms and the site boundary.

Natural ecological groupings the indigenous trees and shrub planting scheme and a nature area was created at one end. All the plants used in the project exhibit special features of adaptation to the Zimbabwean climate and are used for teaching principles of biology.

Facilities
Junior School 12 classrooms, staff offices, Music and Art
Completed 1995 Rooms

Middle School 5 classrooms, staff offices, 3 laboratories,
Completion 1998 preparation rooms.

High School 4 classrooms, staff offices, 2 laboratories with
Completed 1997 preparation rooms.

Physical Education Building Indoor games playing area, dance studio, weights room,
Completion 1998 changing rooms and showers, 2 staff offices.

Swimming Pool Teaching pool, main pool.
Completion 1999

Auditorium Auditorium to seat 500, stage, choir, orchestra room,
Completion 2000 practice rooms.

Administration Building Conversion of existing house to administration offices.
Completed 1994

Sports Fields 3 sports fields

External Works, Roads, packing areas and paths and landscaping, extensive indigenous planted nature area

Educator Narrative

Harare International School

Harare International School is a fully accredited international school serving 400 students from 55 countries ranging from 3 to 18 years of age. A school such as ours requires state-of-the-art facilities to complement its educational and co-curricular programs.

Our purpose-built campus enhances instruction in a variety of means. The primary school, classrooms are pod-like in design allowing the teacher great flexibility in setting up teaching areas and workstations. The pod design also provides for a sense of enclosure and warmth. Each primary classroom also contains a reading area. This area is used by individual students or small groups of students and provides for an instructional area separate from yet an integral part of the main classroom.

All classrooms are warmed and cooled passively by design. This allows for an optimum temperature at which to learn. In the secondary and latest phases of the school’s development, rooms are heated and cooled by an underground rock store ventilation system. This provides for year-round comfort in the classrooms.

Throughout the school, there is teacher storage and office space between every two classrooms. This assists in maximizing communication between teachers and also allows for private work and storage space close to each classroom.

The school contains specifically designed areas for certain instructional facilities, such as the visual arts, the performing arts and physical training. The secondary school visual arts program is housed in a purpose-built facility which is comprised of an art studio, office space for CAD design, a ceramics/kiln area, a photography lab, and a covered outdoor work space. The open plan concept of the art area allows for different groups of students to work in different artistic mediums simultaneously.

The Performing Arts Center houses a 750-seat theatre which provides the ultimate area for both teaching and performing dramatic arts. This facility is supported by makeup rooms, a green room, a scenery design workshop, and music rooms. This facility has emphasized the reality that the structure in which one is working enhances the study and execution of a subject.

The gymnasium is another purpose-built facility, which abets our athletic program and allows for both local and international competition in sports such as. The structure also contains a weight training center, a dance studio, a climbing wall, a classroom, and locker/shower facilities. Again, the facility has allowed us to provide instruction and conduct activities that we were simply not able to offer previously.

Our campus embodies the ideal of international schools around the world. The chevron design of the two main classroom buildings makes for open, quiet, natural playing areas—both grass and hard court. This is aided by lush landscaping using indigenous plants and earthy construction with brick and tile. The overall effect is a calm, safe and peaceful environment.

Harare International School is in a league of its own making, and part of its success in inspiring academic achievement, creativity and physical development undoubtedly arise from the utility of the physical and aesthetic environment in which we are housed.