A storybook aesthetic to engage children in their school design.

Hayes Davidson partnered with humanitarian architecture charity Article 25 on the Kao La Amani project, a new orphanage and school in Boma, Tanzania.

We supported on-the-ground charity Tír na nÓg, by providing an engaging visual narrative which would both invite the Boma community into the conversation, involving them in the design process itself, as well as help secure funding for the construction of the project.

Using a playful ‘picture book’ aesthetic to appeal to the children in particular, we designed an animation and immersive VR experience and took them to Tanzania to present in situ. Our visuals reference the materials and colours of the local environment, including the children’s school uniform, to create an accessible and familiar process of engagement and encourage participation.

Launched on social media, the video helped raise the £500,000 required to complete the first phase of the school build.

This project continues to be dear to our hearts and our values, demonstrating our belief that everyone should have the right to participate in the conversation about where and how we live. We wanted to challenge assumptions about what visualisation should look like, and how architecture is communicated. The Kao La Amani video is another step towards the democratisation of architectural discourse, making it more accessible and open to all.