Mutende II: The Folding Canopy of Chingola, Chingola, Zambia

In the town of Chingola, a group of student architects and local collaborators achieved the extraordinary: designing and building a 350-square-meter educational facility in just seven weeks. With a lean budget of only £100 per square meter, the project, known as the Harold Mwenge Memory Academy or Mutende II, doubled the existing study space for the Mutende Children’s Village. The result is a flexible communal hub that breathes with the local climate and serves as a vital destination for the surrounding community.

The Vision

The primary intent was to expand the school's capacity while creating a central anchor that defines the social life of the campus. The design team envisioned a community hall that could flex into three distinct classrooms, an IT suite, and administrative offices. By mirroring the roof pitch of existing structures and extending a new, unevenly pitched concertinaed canopy, the architecture creates a shaded courtyard at the school's core. This courtyard, complete with creatively crafted informal seating for both children and adults, transforms a simple transition area into a human-friendly destination for gathering and learning.

Tectonics

The building's construction was a masterclass in innovative engineering and local materiality. To meet the aggressive schedule, the team bypassed traditional concrete slab foundations in favor of reinforced concrete pads raised 800mm above the floor. A dynamic timber truss system was bolted to these pads, supporting a cascading corrugated iron roof that mimics the appearance of a single, folded foil sheet. The interior and exterior walls are composed of fired mud-bricks, featuring metal grilled doors and windows of varying heights that break the rigid norms of typical classroom design.

The Living Building

Mutende II functions as a "Living Machine" through its deep integration with community needs and climatic responsiveness. The children and teachers were active participants in the construction process, ensuring the final spaces responded directly to daily school activities. Passive design elements include the large cantilevered canopy that provides essential shade and massive gutter trays that protrude into the courtyard for rainwater harvesting. Inside, suspended fabric cloths soften the ceilings, while the variation in window sizes ensures that even rooms with limited orientation receive targeted natural light.

Data Sheet