East African School Design Symposium and Book Launch - watch here

21st November 2025

This week partners, practitioners, and friends gathered for the UK launch of the Design Guide for Schools in East Africa, developed by the Feilden Foundation in partnership with Enabel.

The event brought together voices from across the sector, including colleagues from Uganda, to reflect on how we design, build, and sustain schools that truly serve their communities.

The Feilden Foundation, in partnership with Enabel (the Belgian development agency), launched a new Design Guide for Schools in East Africa, a comprehensive resource aimed at improving the quality, resilience, and community value of school environments across the region.

The guide is the result of several years of research and was developed with extensive input from East African educators, architects, development partners, and students. A draft version was presented at a Kampala conference last year, and the final publication reflects feedback gathered through that process.

At the launch, speakers stressed the importance of designing schools not as isolated structures but as part of a “community of schools” capable of sharing resources, knowledge, and long-term development strategies. Presenters also highlighted the essential role communities play in maintaining and sustaining educational facilities.

Enabel confirmed that the guide will be central to its upcoming school construction programme, including the creation of a model school that will test and demonstrate the guide’s principles. Further dissemination is planned through public lectures and partnerships with Ugandan universities.

Attendees were invited to provide feedback and support future research and implementation.

A huge thank you to all those who presented and took part in the event, alongside Peter Clegg and Meg Collin from the Feilden Foundation, Frank Wailbale from Enabel – the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation, Julianna Achi from Localworks Uganda, Storm-Dominique Hayward from Buro Happold and Oliver McIlvenna from Grant Associates.

An online copy of the guide is available here.