Play Follows Farm

C-re-aid’s first design+build competition, in partnership with Jubilant Tanzania, sought proposals for a nursery school in Moshi district, Kilimanjaro, serving orphans aged 2 to 6. In response, we proposed Play Follows Farm, a scheme inspired by Africa’s self-sustaining settlements where land and livelihood are inseparable. The design transforms farming into play, turning the nursery into a landscape of discovery rooted in resilience and self-sufficiency. Programs including three classrooms, office, kitchen, storage, and washrooms are arranged as a protective boundary wall around a central sloping courtyard that merges with the banana grove. Stepped plinths host flexible activities, while louvered walls and vaulted roofs ensure light, ventilation, and thermal comfort. Constructed from compressed earth blocks and locally sourced timber, the school emphasizes affordability, adaptability, and ecological sensitivity. By weaving farming into the daily rhythm of play, the project reimagines education as a shared cultural act, offering children not only a place to learn but a foundation of dignity, community, and care.