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Are We Mindful? Are We Kind?

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The Green School in Bali works towards having the lowest carbon footprint of any international school anywhere, through the use of bamboo and rammed earth for the school buildings.

For the design, the school contacted PT Bamboo, a local architectural design-build firm that specializes in sustainable bamboo building.

Energy is supplied by burning easily replenished bamboo sawdust to heat hot water and to cook over, and in the future the Green School plans to tap into the plentiful riverine energy with a hydro-powered generator, and by solar panels.

But the sustainability is designed to be passed along to a new generation as well.

The school aims to provide children a well rounded academic education in a very natural simple setting. It is dedicated to providing children from around the world an education rooted in Budddhist precepts that exemplify living lightly on the earth.

As Cynthia Hardy, one of the school founders asks: “Were we kind? Did we do our best? Did we help someone? Did we go out of our way to achieve excellence? Did we listen? Did we make someone smile? Did we work hard? Did we provide as best we could? Were we mindful?”

Apparently, yes.

Recently, the school attracted the attention of the Aga Khan Awards for Architecture for its sustainable merits on just these kinds of grounds, and it may be shortlisted to be an award winner this year.

Images: The Green School
Source: Inhabitat