Shade Roof Basecamp (SRB)
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We build innovation schools in the developing world to help local students, staff and their families. Every school is a small experimental farm in any area without a prolonged cold season (i.e. tropical, subtropical and some desert climates). Our campuses are initially developed using Mobile Modular Units (MMUs), outdoor furniture and rolling equipment carts, stored in secure lockers. These are all deployed under under a shade roof equipped with insect screens, utilities, solar PV, solar thermal and rain catchment systems. The SRB staged development system we use to build campuses makes us well-adapted to hot climates, keeps our operations lean and allows our schools to physically scale up. It also allows us to continually improve our campus and curriculum designs. For information on the Hiyas Observatory see the Site Plan for our build in Nueva Ecija, Philippines.
Structures & MMUs
Cantina Under Shade: The Cantina, shown under one end of the Shade Roof, is the center of student life on an early stage campus. Staff and students dine, study and meet here. The store is a small sari-sari style convenience type standard in the Philippines with a limited in store food menu. Campus meals for students, staff and customers are ordered and served here but prepared at the system module kitchens. We also call this our System Roof Basecamp (SRB), as most campus systems are built out from the roof. Our standard design has one long shade roof or several smaller sections, totaling 128 feet in length – not including outbuildings such as the South Shed Row or site specific structures like the Hiyas Observatory. Construction is specific to each site, decided by factors such as vehicle access, terrain, drainage and solar array shading.
System Modules: These MMUs provide all the amenities required for regular campus operations. Each unit includes a Comfort Rooms (CR – bathroom), laundry and a commercial kitchen plus utility equipment that supports those functions. The standard SRB layout includes two system modules. Storage lockers and chain-link fence cages are installed to secure access to the kitchens. These are placed in the center of the SRB between the Cantina and the Habs. This allows access to CRs (bathrooms) and faster delivery of food orders to the Cantina. It also separates the Habs from the Cantina for quiet filming.
Hab Modules: Habs are office cabins with a desk, sofas and a full sized murphy bed. Four units are deployed north-south under the shade rood in a grid with bunk beds on the centerline between them. This allows staff, guests and international students to stay on campus long term. The large, comfortable office chair can stow in the closet while the murphy bed is down. The small cabinet opposite the closet has a water cooler. Both sofa benches are also storage chests. Hab modules are also noise insulated, with quality office furniture and camera mounts for use in vlogging, streaming, etc.
Miscellaneous Systems: Every campus will have a variety of systems from simple fences and irrigation to solar arrays and the data-grid (LAN). Some of these will be housed in a shed row built on the south end of the SRB – effectively adding a south wall to the 128 foot length of the shade roof. Extensive development of these systems, which could include some small outbuildings, is a transition phase between the SRB stage and building larger structures. Greenhouses and screen / shade low tunnels may be necessary depending on the local pest load and microclimates. Certain experimental items such as a parabolic solar furnace, solar food dehydrators and pyrolizer retorts are being considered for development at this stage.Â
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