PORET Kindergarten: A Bird's Nest of Earth and Timber, Chaseyama, Zimbabwe

Designed for the PORET permaculture community in the low-rainfall region of Chaseyama, this kindergarten is a masterclass in holistic sustainability. Led by visionary architect Anna Heringer, the project relies entirely on local resources, utilizing rammed earth and timber to create a playful, multifunctional space. Embracing the reality of the harsh local climate, the building is designed to eventually compost back into the earth, leaving behind no environmental harm, but rather a community enriched with new construction skills.

Architecture as Permaculture

The PORET Trust works intimately with the Chaseyama community to address hunger, malnutrition, and poverty by teaching adapted permaculture techniques. When commissioning a new kindergarten, the community required a building that breathed the exact same philosophy of holistic sustainability: gentle to the soil, the water, the atmosphere, and the people.

Drawing on her extensive experience in sustainable development, Anna Heringer approached the project with a core belief: the most successful development strategy is to make the absolute best out of existing potentials and local resources.

The Vision: The Nest and the Niche

The design of the kindergarten is highly playful, prioritizing the imaginative needs of children while remaining flexible for the wider community. The Bird's Nest: At the heart of the interior is a woven alcove designed for nestling, retreating, sleeping, or reading. Resembling a bird’s nest (or a UFO), it serves as a cozy hideaway for the kids and can even double as a small stage for puppet shows. Multifunctional Space: The main room is kept neutral and open. It features a surrounding bench and a timber structure with enough depth to form intimate niches. When not used by the children, the space transitions seamlessly into a training hall or dormitory for visiting farmers. Deep-Framed Windows: The building features colorful windows set into thick, solid frames. The larger windows act as special niches where children can sit and peek out of their "beehive" into the surrounding landscape.

Tectonics: Returning to the Earth

In this region of Zimbabwe, the sheer volume of termites and ants means that no untreated natural structure will last forever. Heringer framed this not as a problem, but as a profound ecological positive. Compostable Architecture: The structure is built primarily from locally sourced rammed earth and timber. The design embraces the fact that, eventually, the building will turn to compost and go back to the earth without causing any harm to the environment. Climate Adaptation: The thick earthen walls naturally regulate the interior temperature in the hot, low-rainfall climate, creating a cool, breathable sanctuary for the children.

The Living Building: What Remains is Knowledge

If a building is ultimately impermanent, its lasting value must be placed in the people who built it. Heringer made it essential to combine the entire building process with the intensive training of local craftsmen. The ultimate goal was that even when the physical building eventually returns to the soil, the know-how, skills, and community empowerment will remain forever, allowing the locals to build better, healthier homes for themselves in the future.

Data Sheet