On Monday June 6^th 2022, winners of the Architizer A+ Awards 2022 were announced by the Architizer organization from New York. The public award in the category ‘Architecture for Good’ is awarded to the National Teachers Colleges (NTC) Uganda project. It consists of a large-scale campus renovation and new build facilities at 2 educational locations near the towns of Kaliro and Mubende, both in Uganda. The build project for approximately 2,000 students, featuring 24 renovated buildings and 8 new buildings, encompasses student and teacher housing, classroom buildings, energy-efficient kitchens, sports facilities, sustainable energy facilities, waste recycling systems, and food production facilities.

Enabel Country Representative, Tom Vanneste, said the initiative ensured the creation of a safer and more conducive learning environment for over 2,000 students and their teachers.

The project was realized as part of a joint venture collaboration between Oubuntu Consulting, DASUDA, and bkvv architects. The clients of this large-scale project are the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda, and the Belgium Development Agency. The project is funded by the Belgian Government.

NTC is part of an ambitious national program to improve education in Uganda. The approach for NTC is for future teachers to become examples for a better Uganda. Living and learning at NTC campus is a reflection of that goal.

Architizer A+ Award

The A+Awards celebrate the extraordinary work of the world's best firms, highlighting the work of pioneering architects and designers as they strive to create architecture that will stand the test of time.

Out of 5,000 entries received from 100+ countries, a team of reputable judges have nominated five finalists within each award category. Popular Choice Winners were awarded in several categories, with over 400,000 votes cast by the voting public.

The Architecture + for Good category celebrates projects and architects that use their skills and passions to address crises in collaboration with communities.

The National Teachers Colleges Uganda project will be published in the next edition of "The World's Best Architecture", a hardbound compendium published annually by the Monacelli Press.

National Teachers Colleges Uganda

The design for National Teachers Colleges started in 2019. Construction was recently completed and the buildings were handed over during a well-attended inauguration ceremony in December 2021.

The Minister of State and Ambassador of Belgium signed the Manifesto for Climate Responsive Design during the inauguration ceremony, with NTC being the first project in Uganda acknowledged as a best practice example. The project is poised to become a reference for institutional developments in the country. It features indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as local artisan technology applications. It also focuses on the enhancement of the green environment through local-bio diversity safeguards and water protection. NTC uses locally available materials, such as bamboo and earth bricks, that promote community participation. Simple but pleasant architecture optimizes natural lighting, ventilation, and passive cooling, resulting in thermal comfort spaces with a relatively low indoor temperature. At the same time, it features low-cost maintenance, as well as a reduction in project and implementation period costs. No air conditioning is required, as all of the buildings have a cool internal temperature.