Anna Heringer facts for kids
Anna Heringer (born October 13, 1977) is a famous architect. She is known for her creative and eco-friendly buildings. Anna Heringer often uses natural materials like earth and focuses on helping local communities. Her projects are all over the world, from Bangladesh to Austria. They are praised for being beautiful, useful, and good for the environment. One of her most famous works is the METI Handmade School in Rudrapur, Bangladesh.
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About Anna Heringer
Anna Heringer grew up in Laufen, Germany. She studied architecture in Linz, Austria, and finished in 2004. Her interest in Bangladesh started in 1997. She spent a year there doing volunteer work. During this time, she learned a lot about helping communities in a sustainable way. She realized that the best way to succeed is to use what is already available locally. This idea became very important in her work.
After finishing her university project called "School: handmade in Bangladesh" in 2004, she started building the school. She helped raise money and then went to Rudrapur in Bangladesh. The project was officially named the METI Handmade School. Local people helped build it using traditional materials like mud and bamboo. The school was finished in 2006.
Anna Heringer has also designed other buildings. These include the DESI (Dipshikha Electrical Skill Improvement) vocational school for electricians, finished in 2008. She also built the Training Centre for Sustainability in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2010. Since 2004, Anna Heringer has given many talks at universities and conferences. She now lives in Salzburg, Austria.
Her work has been shown in famous places like MoMA in New York and the Venice Biennale. She also designed exciting new buildings for the Longquan International Biennale in China. This event invites famous architects to build unique structures every two years.
Amazing Projects
Through her projects, Anna Heringer wants to help local builders. She wants them to feel proud of using traditional building methods. She also works to protect nature and avoid harmful modern building practices. Her projects in Bangladesh have shown a new way to build sustainably. They use local materials and the skills of local workers.
METI Handmade School
The METI Handmade School is a primary school for 168 students. It uses local building styles and materials. But it also adds new ideas to make the buildings stronger and more efficient. For example, they improved how bamboo structures were built. This allowed them to add a second floor to the school. Brick foundations were used to protect the mud walls from moisture. Local craftspeople made the bricks. The rest of the building was a team effort by architects, teachers, students, and local people.
DESI Vocational School
The DESI vocational school teaches people to become electricians. It is special because it runs on solar energy. It is also the first mud building in Bangladesh to have indoor plumbing! This project also involved local students and craftspeople. The hope was that they would use their new skills in the area. Like the METI school, it used local materials like mud and bamboo. They added a strong foundation and damp-proofing for extra stability. No machines were used in building, except for cows mixing the earth! The building has two classrooms and apartments for instructors. It also has bathrooms for students. Adding plumbing to mud buildings is usually hard, as it often needs concrete.
Other Projects
The Training Center for Sustainable Construction in Marrakesh, Morocco, also uses local skills and materials. These include earth, wood, and ceramics. This project is seen as a great example for Morocco and other places.
Anna Heringer also designed the Anandaloy Building in northern Bangladesh. This building is a center for people with disabilities and a textile studio.
Awards and Recognition
Anna Heringer has won many important awards for her work:
- Aga Khan Award for Architecture (2007) for the METI School.
- Bronze for Africa and Middle East, Regional Holcim Awards (2011) for the Training Center in Marrakesh.
- Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2011).
- Obel Award for the Anandaloy Building.
See also
In Spanish: Anna Heringer para niños
