group of individuals standing in front of two large wooden and bamboo structures that are either under construction or designed in an open framework style, with a natural landscape in the background

Koudougou High School (Burkina Faso)

Innovative design meets education: new high school in Koudougou welcomes 350 students

Heidelberg Materials' subsidiary Cimburkina has donated 200 tonnes of cement for the construction of a modern high school in Koudougou, around 120 km west of the capital Ouagadougou.

The high school Lycée Schorge de Koudougou was opened on 13 February 2016 and will take on 350 pupils, both girls and boys. It features seven fully equipped classrooms, administrative offices, a library and a medical care room, as well as a school garden and athletic field. Water comes from a nearby well, and electricity is solar generated. Every class has 50 pupils, half of which are girls.

The school provides needed education to young women and men who will be the driving force for development in their home towns and throughout the country. To make this vision a reality, a group of outstanding teachers has been brought together on the faculty.

Construction of the school building was financed in part by German NGO The Stern Stewart Institute. Architect Francis Diébédo Kéré, from Burkina Faso, who is known for his innovative and ecologically harmonious structures, designed the school to use natural aeration and shades and local building materials, such as clay bricks, to keep the classrooms cool.

“We are very proud to be involved in this very important project,” says Eric Goulignac, General Director of Cimburkina. 

The school is more than just the architecture and ecological construction: It is a modern place of learning, where young people receive the education they need to lead the way into the future.

Project Data

  • Francis Diébédo Kéré

    Architect

  • 2016

    Completion

group of individuals standing in front of two large wooden and bamboo structures that are either under construction or designed in an open framework style, with a natural landscape in the background

Koudougou High School, Burkina Faso. The architect designed the school building to incorporate local building materials, such as clay bricks, which make for a comfortable classroom climate.

series of four yellow roll-up security shutters on a brick wall, each partially open, creating an engaging visual pattern with the shadows cast by the sunlight.

Koudougou High School, Burkina Faso. The architect designed the school building to incorporate local building materials, such as clay bricks, which make for a comfortable classroom climate.

A diverse crowd gathers at an outdoor event, seated and standing in front of a building with a unique open-wall design and a steeply pitched roof.

Koudougou High School, Burkina Faso. Honoured guests, parents, and pupils are thrilled about the opening of the new school for 350 local girls and boys.