Built as part of a project to develop Syria’s rural areas, this school is the country’s first to be contextually designed, rather than on the national model. The only public building in the remote village of Tell Krin, it features, on residents’ request, a multi-purpose hall in addition to the original scheme of classrooms and teachers’ rooms. The budget did not allow for air-conditioning, so a natural ventilation system was incorporated into the walls, and oil-burning stoves installed for heating. The architects specified the use of traditional local render for integration with village architecture, but this was replaced with uncharacteristic Aleppo stone by the team who oversaw construction.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture