Highly commended: Civic building of the year 2019. Built by RAW Architecture in just six months, Alfa Omega School is raised up on stilts to deal to with its swampy site in Tangerang, Indonesia.

The lightweight bamboo upper floor is topped with a zigzag thatched bamboo roof, influenced by Javanese architecture. Split horizontally into three layers and raised 2.1 metres above the swamp on concrete stilts, the building integrates four modular buildings and a central courtyard. A shallow ramp leads up to school, and a dramatic corridor sheltered by a roof leads to a bamboo pavilion providing space for activities. The challenging site was chosen in order to give the children a sense of closeness to nature and to encourage outdoor learning.

Architect: RAW Architecture
Project: Alfa Omega School
Highly commended for: Civic building
Read more: RAW Architecture