Mario Cucinella, School Project in Palestine

Green Schools is an architectural project incorporating a school with a recreational centre and meeting-place for young Palestinians living in refugee camps and providing a prototype of ecological architecture: a green school building to be copied in other countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Architect Mario Cucinella came up with the project on the occasion of an Italian/Palestinian architects? summit on ecological architecture and renewable energy in Ramallah in March 2010 and developed it in collaboration with the UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).

In view of critical problems in the area such as the scarcity of water and high energy prices, the building is intended to be self-sufficient. It will produce all the energy it requires from renewable sources with solar and geothermal installations, while a rainwater collection system and a wastewater treatment system will provide all the water needed for cleaning, toilets and irrigation. The school will be built out of locally available materials using simple building techniques so that the refugees themselves can build it.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Design: Mario Cucinella Architects
Location: Gaza, Palestine
Illustrations: courtesy of Mario Cucinella Architects

www.mcarchitects.it
www.unrwa.org