Re-empowering the female population is a key concern in post-Taliban Afghanistan. This city-centre school serves over 3,000 girls, from kindergarten to pre-university. It reinterprets the area’s rich architectural heritage into contemporary forms, offering privacy, playfulness, comfort and safety. Local building expertise and materials were combined with advanced environmental analysis and anti-seismic measures. Solar heat gain is maximised in winter and minimised in summer: 14-inch-thick masonry walls retain heat while shading the glass surfaces needed for daylighting, and ‘sunspace’ stairwells capture winter warmth. Ventilation is largely passive. Green space irrigated with treated wastewater provides an urban oasis for fitness, social interaction and educational gardening.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
