The cost of education can be prohibitively challenging for many Haitian families. For our client, Summits Education, access to quality education is a human right. Currently, they operate 40 primary schools in the remote mountains of Haiti’s Central Plateau. Their schools form an education system in rural Haiti which serves as a model network for the Haiti Ministry of Education. The Summits Team, in partnership with the Greenwich Church, envisioned a reconstruction of St. Marcs School’s campus, a facility that was severely damaged during a landslide. Adaptiv worked with partners to develop the first phase of this project that includes classrooms, outdoor recreation space, a kitchen, administration space, latrines, and access to clean water. In January 2021, phase 1 was completed and the new facility welcomed 170 Students in grades K-6. Phase 2 will provide 2 additional classrooms for grades 7 & 8.
Summit’s Education
Greenwich Church
St. Marcs, Haiti
Phase 1 Construction: December 2020
Education
Masterplanning, Architecture, Construction Administration
JSC Construction, Studio Drum, Claudel Pierre, BHI, Trent Lloyd
The project’s success was rooted in the close collaboration of the US-based design team and local Haitian partners. The knowledge of the local team coupled with excellent communication allowed the project to continue during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The use of local laborers and local materials ensured the community reaps the socio-economic benefit of the project. Haiti-based Studio Drum designed, detailed, and fabricated the bamboo window panels on site, sharing their knowledge with our team.
Passive design strategies were employed to ensure a comfortable learning environment. The pitched offset roofs coupled with louvers, bamboo window shades, and skylights maximize airflow and daylighting while minimizing heat gain. The school was designed to function without electricity but a solar system is installed as a backup energy source.
The Summits Network will use the St. Marcs school as a baseline model to raise the standard of infrastructure across their 40 schools to ensure all their students and staff are provided with a dignified environment that promotes educational achievement.
Integrate Community
Provide Access
Respect Context
Enhanced Response Capacity
Address Vulnerability
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality
GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
