AVP DZALEKA LEARNING CENTRE

PROJECT INFORMATION

CLIENT: African Village Project (AVP)
TYPE: Educational Facility
STATUS: Completed project
PROJECT VALUE: Confidential
COMPLETION: 2025
ADDRESS: Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Malawi
IN ASSOCIATION WITH: GGN Landscape Designers

The AVP Dzaleka Learning Centre transforms a previously neglected, fenced-off site within the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi into a welcoming and accessible centre for education and community learning. Three existing, abandoned buildings surrounded by overgrown vegetation were carefully rehabilitated to create functional classrooms, administrative spaces and a cafeteria. Design Network led the full architectural scope, improving daylight, ventilation and internal comfort through new steel window grilles, furniture, teaching walls and accessible ramps. Durable, locally sourced brick and stone paving were combined with colour and natural materials to introduce warmth, identity and dignity to the learning environment.

The centre extends beyond the classroom to provide spaces for learning, play, sport and community gathering. A new artificial-turf football field, basketball court and custom-designed playground, developed with GGN Landscape Designers, make use of the site's natural slope, while shaded spectator seating, a thatched gazebo and an intimate nest-like gathering space create opportunities for informal interaction and outdoor dining. Improved latrine facilities were designed to support hygiene and regular servicing through a weekly pumping system, while the site's natural topography is used to manage rainwater drainage. Completed in 2025, the project provides a safe and uplifting environment for children within the refugee camp, while also accommodating adult education and evening classes, reinforcing education as a shared community resource.