Photo: © Anna Heringer

Rudrapur lies in the north of the most densely populated country on the earth. Poverty METI I 2005-2006
and the lack of an infrastructure drive many people from the countryside into the School handmade in
cities. The local NGO Dipshikha attempts to follow new paths with its development Rudrapur, Bangladesh
programme: the intention is to give the rural population perspectives and to help
people learn about the value of the village in all its complexity. Part of this is a special Building
school concept that instils in the children self-confidence and independence with the Two-storeys school building
with 5 class rooms (325 m2)
aim of strengthening their sense of identity.
Material
Ground floor: Cob
Anna Heringer developed this starting point in her project ‚school handmade‘. After Upper floor: Bamboo
making a preparatory analysis of the village and the development with three further Architecture
Linz students in 2002, Heringer, who has known the country for years, devoted her Anna Heringer (design,
diploma thesis) and Eike
diploma thesis to a school building for Rudrapur that was carried out in 2005. Roswag (technichal planning)
The intention was to link the inhabitants of the village, school pupils and teachers with Realisation
the project. Local community + students,
Traditional building techniques were adopted and developed further. Clay and University of Art and Design
Linz
bamboo are existing, inexpensive local materials that have excellent qualities for
Diploma supervision
coping with the sub-tropical climate. Local workers were involved in the construction
Prof. Roland Gnaiger
work. The project achieved a widespread effect and acceptance within the village,
Site supervision
making it possible to hand on the improved technology that we had developed in Eike Roswag and Anna
conjunction with experts in earth building and bamboo construction. Heringer
Consultants
Oskar Pankratz (building
physics), Emmanuel Heringer
and Uwe Seiler (bamboo),
Martin Rauch and Dr. Christof
Ziegert (earthworks), Rudolf
Sackmauer (engineering)
Partner
Dipshikha, Habitat for
Humanity Bangladesh,
Technische Universität Berlin
Awards (selection)
Aga Khan Award, ARaward for
Emerging Architecture
Photos (selection)
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For further non-free photos, made by the professional photographer Kurt Hörbst
(www.hoerbst.com), please contact the photographer.

B1: © Anna Heringer B2: © Anna Heringer B3: © Boris Unterer

B4: © B.K.S. Inan B5: © Anna Heringer B6: © Katharina Doblinger

B7: © Katharina Doblinger B8: © Construction team B9: © Stefania Ragusa

B10: © Stefania Ragusa B11: © Boris Unterer Bild 12: © Katharina Doblinger

S1: © Anna Heringer S2: © Stefania Ragusa T1: © Construction team