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dents, various administration rooms, sanitary facilities, and a vegetable garden. From
the outset, the implementation was planned in several building and construction
stages. The design principle is an expandable masonry structure made of wall sections, „Kinder bekommen die Chance, den
each with two integrated round arches. Further arches also span the classrooms and the
roofing of the external corridor. On the side of the arcade, all enclosed rooms have sun- Schulbesuch als ein positives,
protected, large-surface steel and glass façades, while only narrow window openings
open up the façade on all other external walls. The main building material is fired clay konti nuierliches Erlebnis wahrzunehmen.“
brick, which is processed into 35-centimetre thick walls. The storage mass creates a
pleasant indoor climate, which is supported and kept stable by a natural ventilation
system with a double roof. Ventilation is provided via a cavity level between the ceiling
and roof. Accumulating hot air is discharged from here through small openings in the menced in May 2016. After successful fund-raising, a total of seven project members of
outer wall. Necessary details for this ventilation system as well as the connections of Engineers Without Borders travelled to Harare for four to ten weeks with a time lag.
wall, ceiling and roof were integrated into the façade as visible components of the Project manager Kristina Egbers and her comrade-in-arms Berta Franziska Bilger were
building structure. A major aspect of the planning was also the support of local busi- on site for the entire period of seven months to accompany the construction site. The
nesses and workers in Harare. The use of locally available materials also leads to high planning period of several years has also strengthened the trust in project partner
acceptance among future users. Clay bricks are the main building material in this Vision & Hope and the school administration. Thus, all the necessary permits were
region, which is why every worker knows how to build with bricks. This means that issued at the beginning of the first phase and 23 workers from Hopley were prepared
masonry construction has a long tradition not only in Germany but also in Zimbabwe. to build the first part together with the German project team for the next six months.
Unfortunately, the construction of complex constructions in both countries often takes After being back in Germany after the successful first construction phase, the Stuttgart
a back seat. For this reason, the project team of Engineers Without Borders initiated the project team is working on the planning of the second construction phase. In concrete
construction of a prototype of the planned construction in Stuttgart in preparation for terms, this meant the revision of a number of connection points, which are to be
the first construction phase in Zimbabwe. With the help of a trained bricklayer and civil implemented more optimally in the future, as well as the calculation of project costs
engineer, the wooden scaffold was first erected, and then arches and other structural and the acquisition of new donations. In May 2017, the second construction phase
connections were bricked up on a full scale and critically tested for the conditions for started, for which Kristina Egbers repeatedly travelled to Harare for five to eight weeks
the implementation of tools and materials in Zimbabwe. The experience gained in this with a five-member project team from Germany. This time, the task was to build two
process has significantly influenced the further planning of the construction processes classrooms as an extension of the first building stage. Only two new employees had
in Harare. to be hired, all other 14 workers were known from the first year of construction. Thus,
a large part of the tasks could be handed over to the local residents, under the direc-
Step by step: About the construction of the new school building tion of the foreman, in order to transfer the responsibilities - for the five construction
phases still to come - more and more comprehensively to the partners and to advance
The project team of Engineers Without Borders, which includes employees from vari- the gradual withdrawal of Engineers Without Borders from the operational tasks.
ous fields of engineering, vocational training and geography, decided to carry out the During this year's construction phase, a well was built on the school site. A wall was
school construction project in several construction phases. This made it possible to to be built around it as protection. This task was taken over by the construction site
accompany the entire construction process - including the residents of Hopely - on site. team. The already acquired knowledge of bow making was extended. Circular one-
In the course of this, the new knowledge owed to the construction method was passed room houses also originate from the tradition of the Zimbabwean Shona people and
on directly to the school's users. This ensures that subsequent maintenance and repair were originally used as fireplaces. In the new building task, this construction method
work can be carried out quickly. Last but not least, the weather conditions in Harare primarily means three-dimensional planning and precise construction. Thanks to the
play a major role in the construction of sections. During the dry season from around construction of the new classrooms, all pupils can already take part in school lessons
April to October, the construction site can be planned reliably, as there are no down- in a classroom equipped with tables, chairs and blackboards. On sunny summer days,
times due to rain. The most important project participants during the construction it is not too hot in the classrooms and not too cold on winter days. The school building
phase are the workers on the construction site. Some of them are fathers of pupils, opens up new perspectives for the children in Hopley. They get the chance to perceive
family members of teachers, neighbours, or former pupils. Engineers without Borders their school attendance as a positive, continuous experience and to break out of the
thus create jobs in a neighbourhood where many people have no income. Due to the cycle of poverty. With the commitment of the people in Hopley as well as the know-
experience of the foreman, it is possible to work with a large number of young, how and financial support of Engineers Without Borders, this creates opportunities for
unskilled workers and to offer them the opportunity to learn the building trade. After current and future generations to shape a better future on their own. Engineers with-
a three-year planning and preparation phase in Germany, the first construction phase, out Borders are largely financed by donations and sponsoring memberships. For more
consisting of two classrooms and a covered outdoor and play area, was finally com- information, see: www.ingenieure-ohne-grenzen.org.

Die Tafel als fester Bestandteil der Wand • Blackboard as an integral part Ansicht und Grundriss des aktuellen Bebauungsstandes • Elevation and floor plan of the current state of development

AIT 5.2018 • 131