The £25m (EGP 500m) new international school is designed to be Egypt’s first STEAM school (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics), with British certified teachers following the UK curriculum. Both the internal and external environments of the school will be focused on creating places for collaboration and experimentation. The school will accommodate 1,500 pupils and will include 70 classrooms, laboratories, a library, a 450 seat auditorium, sports facilities, and a full size football pitch.
The new campus architecture has been inspired by the physical location, geography and make up for the ground as well as the rich history of the site, most obviously the nearby pyramids and other structures from the country’s ancient past. The design is also a response to the local educational codes that require classrooms to face north.
The Cairo campus comprises two main buildings around the edge of the football pitch with the first accommodating the Kindergarten, primary school and auditorium expressed in the form of an elongated ‘S’ along the south west boundary while the senior school is provided in a staggered massing on the north east edge of the campus.
The 7m change in level across the site is exploited to make effective use of the land area. Underground parking and servicing is situated underneath the football pitch with lower ground office space and a kindergarten training pool making use of large light wells to maintain good quality wellbeing for the students and staff alike.
The buildings have a simple and elegant rhythmic design, although opportunities have been taken to create signature elements within the scheme, like the auditorium with perforated gold fins that emulate a pattern inspired by ancient Egyptian art.
The colour and tone of the buildings generally responds to that of the desert while the senior school uses a bold red derived from the master developer’s pallet and the kindergarten uses a vibrant mix of brighter complementary greens and reds to help create a strong identity for the school as a whole.
Working with local designers Howeedy consultants, the campus is designed to incorporate as much flexibility as possible whilst also complying with the strict local codes.
The overall interior concept takes its inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of Egypt while the shapes and colours for each building reference the country’s vibrant, rich designs, Arabic pattern and the Art Deco movement that was so influential in the region.
Kent College West Cairo is being developed and operated in partnership with Sagah Investments and is expected to open its doors in 2022.