Katempris Dining Hall
Katabaro English Medium Primary School, Karagwe, Kagera, Tanzania
Commission, completion 2016
KWY.studio (Ricardo Gomes with Luise Marter, Rui Neto and Mara Nuyens)
Our proposal for the Katempris Dining Hall is placed on the Southwest corner of the site and benefits from an expansive view over the nearby valley. The terrain is steep and defines how the building is organised: the Dining Hall is at the upper level, allowing for the maximum views, while at the lower level there is a water tank, storage and other services making use of the available height. The main concept is that of maximum accessibility: the Dining Hall can be entered at three levels and all entrances give access to a circulation gallery which surrounds the building.
The Ground Floor occupies half of the building’s perimeter, using the space which is gained by the terrain’s slope while keeping most spaces naturally lit. A central spacious Atrium gives access to the restrooms and storage to the North and to a multi-functional room to the South (which can complement the kitchen storage or be used for other activities). At this level there is the Water Storage Tank, the core of the building, which collects rainwater from the roof and courtyard.
The Gallery access to the Dining Hall is one of the main features of our proposal. A ramp and a set of stairs encircle the building connecting the ground floor with the upper level. These spaces are animated by a constantly changing play of light and shadows projected through the two perforated brick walls. On the North the ramped space widens as it rises, transforming itself from a comfortable corridor into a generous, shaded gallery while providing access at half level; on the South side it provides direct stair access to the Dining Hall and Kitchen in the upper floor. These surrounding spaces are the building’s active zone, where we envisage constant movement of children, while the upper floor offers a different atmosphere with great views to the surrounding landscape and an introverted courtyard.
The First Floor is organised around a central courtyard, which provides natural light and can be used as outside dining area or a stage for various events (three concentric steps allow for informal seating). The Dining Hall allows for multiple configurations and has a capacity of up to 360 seated guests. The surrounding circular brick wall is perforated, naturally ventilating the space and letting in glimpses of light. This wall has 8 openings: two are access doors (the main entrance and the stair to the level below); four are windows (which open through the gallery space and offer views of the outside); one doorway opens into the food serving area and one into a veranda (this area allows for outside seating, a view of the gallery below and of the landscape beyond). The Kitchen has a cleaning and a cooking space divided by the food serving area. There is easy delivery access to the kitchen from the road as well as a direct stair to the ground level additional storage.
We have developed a proposal which is distinct while constructively simple. The building is structurally clear and organised in three eccentric rings: the inner water tank wall, which supports the first floor slab and the courtyard columns (onto which the inner roof beams rest); the middle dining hall wall, which supports the first floor slab and becomes the roof ridge; and the external wall which supports the ramp and stairs as well as the roof outer beams. Variying lengths wood beams span between the outer and the middle wall, and from the middle wall to the courtyard columns to create the eccentric roof. The pitch roof runs towards the inner courtyard and the outer perimeter of the building and is clad in corrugated steel.
The bricks are made locally and we have proposed two alternative patterns: A flemish bond where the header projects inwards, outwards or is removed to allow for light and ventilation (variations are distributed according to the different areas of the building) and a running bond where the bricks are rotated at an increasing degree and thus opening ever larger gaps towards the uper part of the walls. Both patterns are easily implemented while introducing a distinctiveness to the Katempris Dining Hall when compared to the other buildings in the school complex: highlighting the central and social character of this exciting new project.
Katabaro English Medium Primary School, Karagwe, Kagera, Tanzania
Commission, completion 2016
KWY.studio (Ricardo Gomes with Luise Marter, Rui Neto and Mara Nuyens)
Our proposal for the Katempris Dining Hall is placed on the Southwest corner of the site and benefits from an expansive view over the nearby valley. The terrain is steep and defines how the building is organised: the Dining Hall is at the upper level, allowing for the maximum views, while at the lower level there is a water tank, storage and other services making use of the available height. The main concept is that of maximum accessibility: the Dining Hall can be entered at three levels and all entrances give access to a circulation gallery which surrounds the building.
The Ground Floor occupies half of the building’s perimeter, using the space which is gained by the terrain’s slope while keeping most spaces naturally lit. A central spacious Atrium gives access to the restrooms and storage to the North and to a multi-functional room to the South (which can complement the kitchen storage or be used for other activities). At this level there is the Water Storage Tank, the core of the building, which collects rainwater from the roof and courtyard.
The Gallery access to the Dining Hall is one of the main features of our proposal. A ramp and a set of stairs encircle the building connecting the ground floor with the upper level. These spaces are animated by a constantly changing play of light and shadows projected through the two perforated brick walls. On the North the ramped space widens as it rises, transforming itself from a comfortable corridor into a generous, shaded gallery while providing access at half level; on the South side it provides direct stair access to the Dining Hall and Kitchen in the upper floor. These surrounding spaces are the building’s active zone, where we envisage constant movement of children, while the upper floor offers a different atmosphere with great views to the surrounding landscape and an introverted courtyard.
The First Floor is organised around a central courtyard, which provides natural light and can be used as outside dining area or a stage for various events (three concentric steps allow for informal seating). The Dining Hall allows for multiple configurations and has a capacity of up to 360 seated guests. The surrounding circular brick wall is perforated, naturally ventilating the space and letting in glimpses of light. This wall has 8 openings: two are access doors (the main entrance and the stair to the level below); four are windows (which open through the gallery space and offer views of the outside); one doorway opens into the food serving area and one into a veranda (this area allows for outside seating, a view of the gallery below and of the landscape beyond). The Kitchen has a cleaning and a cooking space divided by the food serving area. There is easy delivery access to the kitchen from the road as well as a direct stair to the ground level additional storage.
We have developed a proposal which is distinct while constructively simple. The building is structurally clear and organised in three eccentric rings: the inner water tank wall, which supports the first floor slab and the courtyard columns (onto which the inner roof beams rest); the middle dining hall wall, which supports the first floor slab and becomes the roof ridge; and the external wall which supports the ramp and stairs as well as the roof outer beams. Variying lengths wood beams span between the outer and the middle wall, and from the middle wall to the courtyard columns to create the eccentric roof. The pitch roof runs towards the inner courtyard and the outer perimeter of the building and is clad in corrugated steel.
The bricks are made locally and we have proposed two alternative patterns: A flemish bond where the header projects inwards, outwards or is removed to allow for light and ventilation (variations are distributed according to the different areas of the building) and a running bond where the bricks are rotated at an increasing degree and thus opening ever larger gaps towards the uper part of the walls. Both patterns are easily implemented while introducing a distinctiveness to the Katempris Dining Hall when compared to the other buildings in the school complex: highlighting the central and social character of this exciting new project.
