Modern Schools in Angola, 1961-1975: Design with Climate and Heritage

The architectural production of Angola between 1961 and 1975 forms the basis of the current study. Taking into consideration that buildings' environmental performance is, at one time, one of the most central aspects of the Modern Movement legacy and a pressing topic in Angolan contemporary renovations, this study will test climate-responsiveness as a design-tool for the re-use of modern buildings. Looking at the environmental performance of modern schools, this research aims to provide critical insight into the Angolan architectural output during the last years of Portuguese colonial rule. In that period, within a changing society, locally-designed buildings attempted to respond to site-specific concerns. Focusing on passive environmental solutions for educational buildings, the central objective of this research is to identify suitable strategies for these building's contemporary re-use, matching heritage conservation with Angola's pressing demands for development. Such guidelines, conceived under the current standards of comfort and energy efficiency, should span the distinct steps of the preservation project, from strategic design to construction details.