The Mwabwindo School in southern Zambia has been announced as the winner of the prestigious 2017 Panerai Design Miami/Visionary Award.The project is a collaborative effort between 14+ Foundation, New York; Selldorf Architects, New York; and artist Rashid Johnson, with the addition of newly-commissioned furniture by Christ & Gantenbein, Basel. The collaborators have donated their services to the project to create an inspired place for learning, as well as to promote sustainable resource use, arts education, and community building through design.The Mwabwindo School will open in 2018 and serve primary school students in rural southern Zambia. This will be the second school in the region developed by 14+ Foundation, a New-York based non-profit organization committed to increasing education accessibility in rural African communities.The tall trees on the surrounding savanna that serve as shaded gathering spaces, were used as inspiration by Selldorf Architects, New York to design the school campus featuring mud-brick classrooms for 200 students arranged around courtyards and covered by a large corrugated metal roof canopy, along with housing for eight teachers, a vegetable garden, and playing fields. The campus will be constructed by local masons, creating employment and training opportunities for nearby community. The energy efficient ecosystem of the building comprises of rain water harvesting for use in the garden, solar panels for school and teachers’ housing, and a windmill to power the facility’s well water. A mural installation by contemporary artist Rashid Johnson in collaboration with the Mwabwindo School students, will emphasize the importance of art-based educational projects. The school furniture has been designed by Basel-based architecture and design firm Christ & Gantenbein.The award - a recognition of the project’s significant contribution in offering continued, tangible, and lasting impact to build community through design - will be presented in December 2017, at Design Miami.For details, visit: www.selldorf.comClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the project. Read more