Global One School

Kibera, Kenya

Photo © Start Somewhere

Architects: Start Somewhere

Location: Kibera, Kenya
Year: 2023
Client: Global One Foundation
Team: PERI Foundation, Global One Foundation

This low-income school is situated in Kibera, one of the largest informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. The existing sheet-metal school was dismantled and replaced with a 4 storey TwistBlock tower which offers school children an excellent view of the surrounding area. The roof terrace is accessible by a spiral stair-case which is a key feature to the design. Not only offering a second escape in the event of an emergency, but giving the building a distinctive "castle" appearance. Some of the poorest people in Kenya can now experience their city like the "kings of the castle".

The school features 8 classrooms, a staff room & office, a library, a kitchen and an ablution block. The TwistBlocks were painted randomly with the school colours and the top row reflects the Tibetan Prayer Flags and the ethos of peace that is spread by the Global One Foundation - the international organization that supports the on-going running costs of the school.

The school was funded in part by the Global One Foundation and partly by the PERI foundation as part of an on-going commitment to building schools across Africa.