Conceptualised as ‘a village for kids hidden in the woods’, this Waldorf school in Nairobi exemplifies an approach that combines creativity, sustainability, and community involvement to create a truly unique learning space.
Designed by Urko Sanchez Architects, a firm based in Madrid and Nairobi, and commissioned by a local Waldorf school, the institution is deeply connected to nature and grounded in Anthroposophy. This philosophy, conceived by Austrian educator Rudolf Steiner, lays the groundwork for what makes Waldorf schools different: these institutions thrive on a learning process rooted in three dimensions — thinking (head), feeling (heart), doing (hands). Anthroposophy sees the physical and spiritual world as inherently connected, bringing a holistic approach to understand the world. Learners are exposed to academic, artistic, and practical skills.
Living walls
The concept was to create a small village for children nestled within the woods, preserving the old house on-site to accommodate additional classrooms and services. The plot of land is situated within a forest, rich with native tree species, and the goal was to integrate the school harmoniously into the natural environment. To achieve this, classrooms were designed as a dispersed town, strategically placed in clearings within the forest.
The classrooms have soft and organic shapes, with a spiral configuration, inspired by the Maasai Manyatta and other Kenyan vernacular architectures. A traditional Maasai home is oval-shaped, constructed from mud, sticks, grass, and cow dung. Its rounded form optimises structural stability, conserves warmth, and reflects the community’s connection to nature. This vernacular architecture blends functionality with cultural heritage and simplicity.
To enhance the bond between students and nature, Urko Sanchez Architects introduced ‘living walls’. While schools ordinarily function as long-term investments, this one is set to have a temporary lifespan as the plot lease expires in 10 years. The buildings needed to be constructed both quickly and cost-effectively. In the end, Urko Sanchez Architects achieved a cost of 250$/m². Considering the project’s ephemeral nature, the walls were constructed by filling the space between two polycarbonate sheets with leftover soil from excavations and a second layer of forest leaves.
This innovative technique met the client’s need for speed and cost-efficiency while offering a unique aesthetic. The polycarbonate’s transparency reveals the dynamic life within the walls — ants, bugs, plants, roots — and reflects natural light and colours into the classrooms. These evolving living walls transform the classrooms into vibrant, active environments, encouraging students to observe biodiversity up close.
New life
The construction system was designed to be adaptable and community-driven, engaging children, parents, and teachers in the process. Whenever possible, materials from dismantled classrooms were recycled and repurposed: wooden floors and walls became parapets, and roof tiles were transformed into path boundaries. Oil drums were upcycled into toilet sinks, while tree trunks — removed to clear space for sports fields before engaging the architects — were creatively used as screens in the dining hall. An old shipping container from the previous school grounds was relocated and adapted into the new school library. Additionally, soil was mixed into classroom slabs and concrete pathways to minimise the use of cement and external aggregates, promoting a more sustainable approach.
The Waldorf School ultimately gives new life — to thought, to being, and to the built environment.
MEET THE TEAM
Architect: Urko Sanchez Architects | Developer: Nairobi Waldorf School Trust | Construction: Totemic Construction, Design Tone | Quantity Surveyors: CMAS Quantity Surveying | Structural and Civil Engineer: JK Africa | MEP Engineer: AR Engineering
