Client: Brookside School

Status: In Progress

Services: Masterplan & Architecture

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HOLCIM AWARDS WINNER 2025

Studio Contra is currently engaged in the design and delivery of Brookside School, a new private boarding campus for primary and secondary pupils located near Asaba in Delta State, Nigeria. Set within a lush landscape intersected by a narrow stream, the campus will comprise 20 buildings, including academic blocks, a library, cafeteria, sports facilities, and boarding houses.

The project is conceived as a model for contextually grounded, sustainable education architecture in Nigeria. It reimagines how young people learn, live, and play within a natural setting that promotes curiosity, community, and well-being.

Construction will rely almost entirely on load-bearing clay bricks made locally from clay sourced near the site. The design celebrates the versatility and structural potential of brick through expressive arches, vaults, and hit-and-miss brickwork, offering the campus a coherent visual identity rooted in its environment.

This material approach allows the client to control construction costs, reduce embodied and operational carbon, and minimize long-term maintenance, while supporting local craftsmanship and economies.^‍

Recognized for its innovative approach to sustainability and contextual design, Brookside School was awarded the Holcim Foundation Award for the Middle East & Africa region.

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