Asilong Christian High School receives Top Award in Contract’s 2020 Inspirations Awards
Asilong Christian High School in West Pokot, Kenya, was recently awarded the Grand Prize $10,000 grant in Contract Magazine’s 2020 Inspirations Awards. The Inspirations Awards recognize projects that demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility in architecture + design.
“The U.S.-based team and the local community in Asilong, West Pokot are thrilled and encouraged by Contract Magazine’s Inspiration Award. The vision and management of this school comes from local leadership and engagement, which bodes well for a sustainable and transformative asset in this remote part of Kenya. It’s worth noting that the Grand Prize resources will go an extra-long way in this community. Every dollar will go directly towards upcoming projects of a new Administration Building, stormwater management on site, and teacher salaries during the pandemic.” — LAURA LESNIEWSKI, BNIM PRINCIPAL
Asilong Christian High School is the story of a community imagining a different future for themselves and the path they took to realize it. It began with seeking peace in the region through access to clean water, then enhancing educational opportunities for their primary school graduates. The project is a high school campus for 320 students upon full buildout. Structures accommodate classrooms, offices, dormitories, and teacher housing, filling a major gap in providing access to secondary education for both boys and girls in this rural region of Kenya. BNIM’s Laura Lesniewski and Sam De Jong served on the design team for Asilong Christian High School.