Project Name: Green School Bali

Project managers/designers: John and Cynthia Hardy

Web link: http://www.psfk.com/2015/10/sustainable-classrooms-greenest-school-on-earth-green-school.html

Description: Nestled among the swaying palms and lush jungle of Bali is an international school where children learn in bamboo pavilions and read from whiteboards made out of recycled car windows. The classrooms, which have no walls, are designed to help pupils feel more connected to their natural surroundings while studying a curriculum with an environmental twist. It has been hailed as the greenest school on Earth, but it is actually one of many adapting to the changing climate.

Green school Bali is the brainchild of John and Cynthia Hardy, who moved from North America to the Indonesian paradise in the 1970s. They sold their successful jewellery business in 2007 and used the profits to start a school that would pioneer sustainability in education. The couple had the idea after searching for a school for their children but being put off by the unimaginatively designed spaces and curriculums on offer.

The hands-on role the students played in constructing their own classrooms has deepened their connection with the natural world and taught them the importance of building sustainably. She hopes students will take that into adulthood and lead more people to choose these traditional, renewable materials in the future.

Added by: Tom Meades