Panyaden, a special school in Chiang Mai
I enjoyed my primary education at the Kolkschool, then secondary education at the Rietschool, both in Almelo. Both schools were built long before the Second World War and the architectural style can still be recognized. I have never liked those buildings, but compared to the later factory-like blocks that characterize school communities, you could still appreciate them architecturally at the moment.
Schools in Thailand will also generally not be eligible for an architectural award. Functional building blocks with a football field in front, that's all. The Panyaden School in Chiang Mai did win a prize. The school, built according to a design by the Rotterdam architectural firm 24H, was awarded a gold medal in the “sustainable” category in 2012 during a Business of Design Week in Hong Kong.
Panyaden is a green school, built largely of earth and bamboo. Bamboo sticks of different lengths and thicknesses were used for the columns and the roof constructions, with responsible geometries being devised in a playful way. The whole was anchored on natural stone laid in the ground. The walls are of compressed earth, in which shards of glass demarcate the different rooms. The classrooms take advantage of natural light and large floating canopies provide a shaded, ventilated and comfortable learning environment. The design and use of organic materials bring students and teachers closer to nature in a soothing environment.
It fits in with the vision of the founders of Panyaden School, who say that life is more than just working to eat. By learning to enjoy education, by using the acquired wisdom for their own benefit, everyone can acquire an emotional maturity to live a happy life for themselves, their families and, moreover, make a positive contribution to the community in which they live. The Panyaden School is based on holistic education with Buddhist principles, integrated in a modern curriculum. ,
For a beautiful series of photos of this school, look at: www.designboom.com/panyaden-school-thailand/
To learn more about the school, admission and education program, check out their website: www.panyaden.ac.th
About this blogger
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Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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Gringo,
Thanks for your entry, it's really worth checking out for me.
I think that building with natural materials is very beautiful, good and often sustainable.
I myself have already made a natural purification for waste water toilet and kitchen etc. That can be done quite easily, you just need some space.
We also always used clay in ponds, which were always crystal clear without a pump or filter, while there were plenty of fish swimming in them. Clay has a natural property, the excess nutrition is stored in the soil and released when there is less nutrition in the water. This way you prevent algae in the water. This is not the case when carp are swimming in it, carp are subsoilers. There are other solutions for that.
This is a tip for people with a pond.