Our modular preschool design competition submission, in collaboration with LSW Architects, mixes the vernacular language of circular adobe homes with contemporary materials. The project’s form was inspired by the Oromo cultural practice of a community gathering under the Oddaa tree.

The curved classroom modules link together to create circular courtyard spaces that serve as play areas for preschool children and community gathering spaces under sculptural Oddaa-tree-like canopies that collect rainwater and provide necessary shade to the inhabitants of the space. The modular design allows for the flexibility to use this design on multiple sites and in multiple configurations.