Makoko Floating School (MFS I / MFS II)

Lagos, Nigeria, Africa

Completed · Education · Amphibious Community School Prototype · Tropical · 2013

A buoyant triangular schoolhouse built from locally sourced timber, bamboo, and 256 recycled plastic barrels, sited directly on the Lagos Lagoon to serve a community with no dry land. The original structure collapsed in 2016 after storm damage; a refined prefabricated MFS II iteration was exhibited at the 2016 Venice Biennale and won the Silver Lion, cementing the project as a replicable prototype for amphibious education infrastructure in flood-vulnerable informal settlements.

Innovation highlights

• Amphibious buoyancy platform using recycled plastic barrel modules assembled on water
• Locally sourced bamboo and reclaimed timber structural frame with no concrete foundation
• Prototype for replicable flood-resilient school typology in informal waterfront settlements
• Passive ventilation and solar harvesting integrated into A-frame geometry
• Community-led construction employing local tradespeople without formal contractor

Client / Developer

Makoko Community / NLÉ

Architect

NLÉ (Kunlé Adeyemi)

Engineer

NLÉ structural team

Type

Amphibious Community School Prototype

#amphibious #floating structure #informal settlement #community-led #climate resilience #recycled materials #social infrastructure #Lagos Lagoon #prototype

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