Architecture and learning: MOVING Schools.

Building Trust International proposes an effective, mobile solution to guarantee education for communities affected by humanitarian or natural disasters and living in poverty stricken limbo. MOVING schools began as a project to solve the problem of children’s education in displaced refugee and migrant communities living on the Thai-Burmese border.



Building Trust is a non-profit organisation committed to building sustainable projects and to sharing experiences and ideas; they make their project drawings freely available to increase the positive impact of good design.





This becomes even more important when the project is for disadvantaged children and schools, like the Thai-Burmese border refugees who have been forced to migrate in search of a safe place and who hope to return home one day, taking their schools with them.



Amadeo Bennetta and Dan LaRossa won the 2011 “School 4 Burma” design competition. The project concept is based on easy assembly, deconstruction and reassembly, so the school can move together with the community. It even comes with a set of instructions on how to build, take down and rebuild the module using simple, easily sourced and cheap tools and materials.





After its successful build in Thailand, MOVING Schools is also being used in other parts of the world. An educational idea that is catching on!

Design Team: School 4 Burma competition winners Amadeo Bennetta & Dan LaRossa and Building Trust international Design Team.
Consultants: Building Trust international
Construction Team: Ironwood & Building Trust international
Partners: Migrant Education
Corporate Sponsor: Mehler Texnologies  sponsor of tensile roof fabric.
Building status: in use
Construction period: 3 months
Location: Mae Sot, Thailand
Photos: Credited to Building Trust International.