Rise School

RISE: Raft Integrated School Enclosure
Restoring Communities, Raising Education

RISE is a modular school prototype designed for Nepal’s flood-prone and seismically active landscapes. Inspired by the rising Himalayan sun over the mountains, RISE is more than a building—it is a system of learning, safety, and renewal. Rooted in local culture and driven by resilience, it offers a replicable solution for vulnerable regions.

Resilience Through Design
RISE applies a Moat > Boat > Float strategy to respond to seasonal and extreme weather events. A shallow perimeter moat collects monsoon rain and becomes a productive garden in dryer seasons. Classrooms sit elevated, with embedded water jugs between floor joists. These jugs store water during dry months and provide buoyancy that elevates classrooms during floods. When waters rise, classrooms lift and anchor to a central multipurpose loft above flood levels.

Sustainable and Site-Responsive
Constructed from widely available materials—bamboo, timber, rebar, concrete blocks, corrugated metal, and recycled plastic—RISE is affordable and easy to build. Passive strategies include pagoda-style and peaked roofs that manage wind and water while promoting cross-ventilation and daylight. Rainwater harvesting and composting toilets integrated into the moat system support long-term environmental sustainability.

Culturally Rooted, Child-Centered
RISE reflects the vernacular architecture and local craftsmanship. The multipurpose hall doubles as a library and gathering space, while its rooftop transforms into a playground. Slides and climbing walls turn the architecture into playful, confidence-building tools. Entry corners feature amphitheatre-style steps that serve as welcoming spaces and outdoor classrooms, anchoring the school in community life.

Modular and Scalable
Each 3×5m classroom module is easily replicable, enabling phased construction as funding becomes available. Future additions—canteens, offices, dorms—can expand the site into a full courtyard layout, adaptable to changing needs and site conditions.

Community as Catalyst
RISE invites collaboration. Its phased, low-tech construction can be executed by local builders. The simple strategy also acts as a beacon for the area to enable community gatherings, markets & sports to be played on the field when school is out.  The bright color of the roof acts as a beacon for the community to gather to both celebrate and support each other.  

RISE transforms crisis into opportunity. It redefines what a school can be: a resilient refuge, a garden of learning, a platform for play, and a symbol of rising—together.