Building Sun School Bali
As we enter 2024 our dream of our own uniquely designed school environment is coming alive. Designed and created based on the symbolism of the Balinese principle of Tri Hita Karana and the local Frangipani flower our new school is a living example of our commitment to preserving and integrating with our nature’s surroundings.
The Process
The construction process at our school involves utilising only natural materials – we can proudly say that the entire school built is based on Earth Bag and Bamboo. The choice of materials aligns with our commitment to sustainability and harmony with the environment.
EarthBag construction involves using durable bags filled with locally sourced clay earth. This method not only utilises readily available resources but also reduces the environmental impact by minimising the need for extensive transportation of construction materials and supports Bali from moving away from building with concrete. Additionally, EarthBag construction is known for its strength and its ability to provide excellent thermal mass, keeping the classrooms cool. The use of Earth Bag and Bamboo materials resonates with our ethos, emphasising sustainability, eco-friendliness, and a deep respect for the environment, fostering a nurturing educational space.
Bamboo, an essential material in our construction, stands out for its versatility, strength, and eco-friendliness, making it an optimal choice for various structural elements. Its exceptional growth rate is truly remarkable—growing several feet within weeks, resembling the rapid growth of a weed. This rapid growth underscores its renewability, aligning perfectly with our commitment to using environmentally friendly materials with minimal impact on the environment. Its unique characteristics allow it to be bent and shaped into various directions, thanks to its natural bendiness. Whether used in its larger form or cut into smaller sections, Bamboo has remarkable flexibility and can be easily twisted or shaped to suit our specific design needs. This exceptional flexibility and malleability make it an incredibly versatile resource, offering a wide range of possibilities for creative and functional architectural applications.
By employing these natural materials, we uphold our promise to environmental sustainability and our approach to a deepened connection to nature by supporting our children to feel their true essence of connection to nature.
Our school's surroundings play a crucial role in fostering a connection with nature. Surrounded by trees and open spaces without nearby neighbors, our campus provides an ideal environment for learning in harmony with the natural world. This is complemented by an abundance of fruit trees scattered across the land and surrounding the classrooms, enhancing the overall immersive experience. We hope to inspire our children to see nature as something we are not separate from, but that we are deeply connected with and play an essential role in our ability to thrive, as we are inherently nature as well.
Having fruit trees growing and present in our co-existing environment enhances this connection as we begin to make the correlation between where our food comes from and what we eat. We believe this instills a desire to understand the entire process of the journey from seed to table and inspires a true foundation and loving curiosity for health that emerges throughout their whole life. Turning us back to the inherent respect and admiration for the abundance and nourishment provided by nature, and the cyclical process that happens, as we are nested in a living school with a blossoming food forest. Just by its presence; the trees, the gardens, the little farm, this all invokes value to our way of education and the becoming of the child into maturation.
Surrounded by a picturesque landscape, our school is bordered by a lush jungle ravine and a serene river. This natural setting provides a tranquil spot for our children to appreciate the beauty of nature. It's a serene environment that invites contemplation and a deep connection with the natural world, fostering a unique and enriching learning experience for our students.
