A new kindergarten in Cameroon showcases how modern architecture can embrace traditional building methods while addressing contemporary environmental challenges. The African Flow School, designed by Barcelona-based architecture studio Urbanitree, demonstrates that sustainable construction can be both innovative and rooted in local culture.
Located on the outskirts of Yaoundé in Soa, the 1,600-square-meter school was commissioned by the Missionary Daughters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The project serves as a kindergarten built entirely using local materials and construction techniques, featuring walls made from rammed-earth bricks and extensive use of indigenous hardwoods including azobé, sapele, movingui, and doussie.
The school's design centers around a U-shaped brick structure that wraps around a communal courtyard. This layout reflects the mission's "flow" pedagogical model, which uses spatial design to guide and enhance the learning experience. Urbanitree co-founder Vicente Guallart explained that the building itself functions as an educational tool, deeply connected to local cultural traditions.
"We wanted the building itself to be part of the pedagogy – an educational tool rooted in local culture," Guallart told reporters. He emphasized that one of the main challenges was overcoming local construction preferences, noting that "in Cameroon, 'progress' is often associated with concrete, while for us progress meant working with ecological, low-carbon materials."
The interior layout draws inspiration from four familiar local ecosystems: mountain, village, savanna, and forest. Each area represents a different learning environment through both architectural design and sculptural elements. At the northern end, the "mountain" features a blocky, stacked structure built from local hardwood that students can both climb over and enter as a grotto-like space.
Adjacent areas include the "savannah" and "village" zones, where group learning takes place in a long, linear hall with stepped bench seating alongside a curved chapel. The educational journey concludes in the "forest" area, featuring a gridded, tree house-like structure that serves as an elevated lookout point offering views across the central courtyard.
Throughout the building, carefully designed perforated brickwork, clusters of small openings, and gridded timber screens filter natural light in ways that reflect each ecosystem. Light enters from above in the mountain area and creates dappled patterns through screens in the forest space, mimicking natural lighting conditions students would experience in these environments.
"Each environment evokes familiar cultural and natural references, fostering an emotional connection between the students and the spaces they inhabit," Guallart explained. "In this way, architecture becomes the 'third teacher,' shaping learning through spatial experience. These spaces embody the idea that education can emerge from nature, community, and tradition."
The project extends its sustainable approach beyond the main building. A neighboring water tower, which serves the school's water needs, was constructed using a lightweight timber frame instead of the typical concrete construction. The tower is equipped with photovoltaic panels to help mitigate frequent power outages in the region.
This approach aligns with similar projects across Africa where architects are increasingly turning to local materials and traditional construction methods. The African Flow School demonstrates that sustainable architecture can successfully combine environmental responsibility with cultural authenticity, creating educational spaces that serve both practical and pedagogical purposes.
The project represents a growing movement in African architecture that challenges conventional notions of progress and development. By celebrating "ancestral materials and methods," the school offers a model for how contemporary buildings can address global challenges like climate change and urbanization while remaining deeply connected to local culture and traditions.
