Sustainable School-Village

Abstract

To inhibit the degradation of the forest reserves it is necessary to stimulate the consciousness and involvement of the surrounding communities. This work would be more effective with a program of ecological consciousness applied within an environment where people can learn by practicing. For this purpose, we envisage the creation of a Sustainable Building Program (SBP) to build ecological school-villages surrounding the forest reserves subjected to constant aggressions. This is the case of the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve whose vulnerability has increased due to Manaus urban expansion. As the worlds largest urban forest fragment, it demands protection of its borders. It is suggested to implement the SBP to build ecological school-villages as a protection belt to preserve the forest integrity and its natural water fountains. It may also attract eco tourism and serve as a prototype sustainable eco barrier. The school-villages shall shelter people enrolled in social residential programs who will learn by practicing environment education and green building techniques. Storage and selective collection of recyclables shall be emphasized. The organic residues generated by the village shall be used to feed biogas tanks to support the kitchen of the Community Center (CC). The CC shall host the theoretical classes. This program shall also shelter victims from natural disasters, families relocated from risky areas, and low-income families from the rural areas coming to the capital for health treatment by the state. The SBP envisage two-pavement villages comprised of green roof, and green materials such as bamboo, clay from site excavations, wood and bamboo residues, and hydrated lime of carburet. The villages shall comprise rain water catchment and utilization, ecological sewage treatment, and green roof supported by a structural bamboo ceiling. The structural bamboo shall be of the species Guadua angustifolia. The apartments shall comprise bamboo based modular wall panels. Wall panel structures, columns, and beams are prefabricated with bamboo-based structures and cemented with micro concrete. This way, the bamboo used as a non-conventional construction material shall substitute the wood partially, or totally, reducing the pressure on logging.