In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, poverty and the lack of educational facilities are among the most urgent local issues. This project, developed for an international competition, proposes a community daycare and learning center that offers a safe environment for children and economic opportunities for parents.
Working with limited budgets and construction resources, the design employs low-tech, locally buildable systems that encourage resident participation and ensure long-term maintenance.
Located within the existing Fatima school grounds, the site contained two unused buildings and a sports hall. The challenge was to unite fragmented spaces into one coherent complex for 500 students. The project follows two main strategies — 'insertion' and 'connection':
- A mezzanine insertion expands the northwest building, improving light and ventilation.
- A new three-story connector links the two buildings, forming a continuous circulation loop and social hub.
Through minimal yet precise interventions, the project revives the potential of the existing structures, presenting a sustainable, community-driven model of renovation for resource-limited contexts.
