Projects

Please send donations via:

Recipient: Mirador e.V.

IBAN: DE06 5206 0410 0008 0090 90

BIC: GENODEF1EK1

Purpose: Donation Sao Tome + address if a donation receipt is desired!

Please contact us:

Phone: +49 (0) 178 5202752

E-mail: michael.bieler@hs-anhalt.de

More project life on Instagram at: Design Build - Unity (@designbuild_unity) • Instagram-Fotos und -Videos

01.10.2026: After several intense and eventful weeks on the construction site in Agua Izé, the time in São Tomé has come to an end for most of our project group. Saying goodbye was not easy. The students received a warm farewell from the local community and started their journey home with many special memories, new friendships and certainly a little sadness.

However, work on the construction site continues. Chris and Leonie are staying a little longer to complete the remaining work on the doors and to go through the outstanding tasks with the local craftsmen. Careful instructions will help to make sure that the remaining work can be completed reliably before the planned opening of the new kindergarten on 13 November.

At this stage, the main focus is on the many details that will turn an almost finished building into a kindergarten ready to be used. Some interior wall panels in the roof area still need to be installed, and further tiling work has to be completed. The individual rooms will also gradually be furnished and prepared for their future use.

There is still some work to be done in the washrooms as well. The showers, washbasins and toilets need to be fitted with their final fixtures, the toilet cubicles have to be completed, and a concrete washbasin will be built at the entrance to the washrooms. Furniture for the kitchen, classrooms and teachers’ room will also be installed. In addition, the tools used during the construction period will be handed over to our local partners so that they can continue the remaining work and carry out future maintenance themselves.

This marks the beginning of a new phase for the project. Over the past few weeks, students and local craftsmen have worked side by side, learned from one another and found solutions together. Now, responsibility for the final steps is increasingly being passed into local hands. The knowledge and experiences gained through this cooperation will remain, just like the building itself.

The new school year in São Tomé has already started, and there is great interest in places at the new kindergarten. When the building opens its doors on 13 November 2026, 75 young pupils will be able to look forward to their new kindergarten and improved learning conditions.

For everyone involved, this is perhaps the most rewarding thought at the end of this intensive construction period: countless individual building parts, many weeks of teamwork and an enormous amount of personal commitment have come together to create a place that will soon be filled with life. What began for the students with drawings, preparations and a major challenge will become a new place for 75 children to learn, play and grow together.

27.09.2026: Work on the construction site in Agua Izé is moving quickly towards completion. After the building has taken more and more shape over the past few weeks, the focus is now on the many smaller details of the interior fit-out. It is these final steps that are gradually turning the construction site into a finished building.

In the bathrooms, the final plastering and tiling work is being completed. There are also some important details to finish on the roof. Work on the ridge and roof edges is helping to complete the building envelope step by step. At the same time, the last open areas of the walls are being closed.

Good progress is also being made in the kitchen. One special feature here is the installation of folding windows for serving food. They will create a direct connection between the kitchen and the neighbouring areas and are another important detail for the future use of the building.

The door construction has now reached the stage where the final details need to be carefully adjusted. After the large doors and sliding doors were built and installed over the past few weeks, the team is now focusing on the precise adjustment of hinges and sliding rails. These jobs may appear less impressive at first, but they require patience, accuracy and a great deal of practical skill.

While the final work continues on the construction site, a different and more emotional stage of the project has also begun. The first students are already leaving São Tomé and saying goodbye to the construction site, the project and, most importantly, the new friends they have made. Behind them are intensive weeks full of practical challenges, shared experiences and unforgettable encounters.

What the students have experienced in Agua Izé goes far beyond working on a construction site. Taking responsibility together, solving problems, supporting each other and working with people from another country and cultural background towards a common goal has been a very special experience. The excellent teamwork and the commitment of everyone involved have not only been important for the success of the project, but have also provided valuable preparation for the students’ future working lives.

For this reason, saying goodbye is not easy. Alongside the building itself, friendships, memories and experiences will remain for a long time. And although the first students are now beginning their journey home, a part of their work will remain in Agua Izé. With every wall, every door and every challenge solved together, they have helped to create a new place for the children and the local community.

20.09.2026: Work on the construction site in Agua Izé is moving forward very quickly. Many of the building elements that were carefully prepared in advance can now simply be put into place, installed and connected. Thanks to the tireless and dedicated work of the students and the local craftsmen from Agua Izé and Guadalupe, the appearance of the building is changing almost every day. The timber structure is becoming a real building, and the interior work has already started in many areas.

One of the most impressive developments this week was the progress with the electrical installations. Enrico, our electrician, managed to wire the whole building in just one week. He also installed the lights, sockets and ceiling fans. This is another important step towards making the rooms ready for use.

A lot of work has also been done in the bathrooms. Grio and his friends from Guadalupe worked with great patience and skill to install the tiles. The small tiles were particularly challenging, as they required very careful and time-consuming work. It is therefore even more rewarding to see the finished surfaces now taking shape.

There has also been great progress with the doors. The door team is working on the large sliding doors, which will make it possible to divide the spacious areas into classrooms and an assembly hall when needed. They are also making the internal doors for the kitchen and teachers’ room, as well as the main entrance door. With every new door, the different ways in which the building can be used are becoming easier to imagine.

At the same time, the façade team has been working carefully on the outside of the building. Large parts of the façade have now been covered with overlapping cladding. Yellow shuttering panels and boards, originally designed for concrete construction, are being used for this. They already have a factory-applied protective coating against the weather. This makes them an economical solution for the project and, at the same time, gives the building its increasingly distinctive appearance.

A great deal of work was also done on the roof this week. The roofing was carried out by local craftsmen, who continued their work despite the tropical heat, rain and challenging construction details. With great motivation, skill and determination, they worked continuously towards completing the roof. Good cooperation between the different teams was especially important. Thanks to the fast progress on the roof, the electrical team was able to continue its installations without major delays. This is another great example of how important the strong cooperation between everyone involved is for the progress of the project.

Special attention is being given to the louvres in the assembly hall. From the outside, the louvred structure gives the impression of a closed wall, while at the same time allowing natural ventilation. This will help to create a comfortable indoor climate, especially when larger events take place. It is a good example of how architectural design, simple construction methods and the needs of the tropical climate can work together.

The progress is also clearly visible inside the building. The interior wall team has used the available shuttering panels to close large wall areas and has also completed the gable ends on both sides of the building. Step by step, clearly defined interior spaces are now being created, and it is becoming easier every day to imagine what the finished kindergarten will look like.

13.09.2026: This week, several important phases of construction were successfully completed at the construction site in Agua Izé. After the load-bearing wooden structure had been gradually taking shape over the past few weeks, another significant milestone has now been reached: The roof truss of the future kindergarten has been fully completed. As a result, the building’s basic structure is now clearly visible, and the project is increasingly taking on its final form.

At the same time, work on the windows continued at a brisk pace. The first window units were prepared and installed, giving a glimpse of the future interior design. Work on the doors also continued, with the components carefully coordinated with the existing structural elements so that the next phases of construction could be prepared according to schedule.

Another focus this week was on the facade. Work began here on fabricating the necessary wooden components, which will be installed in stages over the coming weeks. Thanks to this work, the building is increasingly taking on its distinctive appearance and approaching its final architectural character.

The visit by Mr. Cassandra, the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe in Brussels, was also a source of great joy. During his tour of the construction site, he was very impressed by the progress made so far and particularly praised the strong commitment of the young people involved in the project. The visible results of their work, as well as the high level of motivation among the entire team, left him with an extremely positive impression and underscored the importance of this joint project for the region.

06.09.2026: After intensive preparatory work, another important milestone has been reached on the construction site in Agua Izé. In the past few days, the load-bearing wooden structure of the future kindergarten has been gradually erected on the foundations. The first wooden supports were installed, beams put in place, and numerous braces added to give the building its stability.  

With each new component, the eventual room layout becomes more visible. The full-height wooden ties connect the individual construction elements into a stable overall system and, together with the top and bottom chords, form the basis for the future roof structure. It's especially impressive to see how a complete framework emerges from the previously prepared individual parts in such a short time.  

Alongside the main construction work, work on the exterior walls is already underway. Window openings have been marked out, studs and beams installed, and the first facade elements prepared. This means the building is now not only growing upwards but is also starting to take on its external shape. For the whole project team, this phase of construction is a real highlight, because after months of planning, organizing, sourcing materials, and handling logistics, the results of the project are finally becoming visible. With each working day, the shared goal comes closer: a sustainable and inspiring learning place for the children of Agua Izé.

21.08.2026: On August 18, the long-awaited day finally arrived: after a lengthy wait, our sea containers were cleared by customs. Once the final formalities were completed, they were loaded onto trucks and transported to the construction site in Agua Izé.

The arrival of the materials was eagerly anticipated on-site. Together with numerous volunteers from the surrounding communities, the containers were unloaded and positioned at their designated locations. This means that all building materials for the next construction phases are now available.

Immediately after delivery, work began to prepare the wooden structure. The threaded rods connecting the supporting structure to the foundations were installed, while at the same time, the installation of the water pipes in the sanitation areas progressed. At the same time, the prefabricated wooden components can now be worked on much more efficiently and prepared for assembly.

With these important milestones, the conditions are set to start building the wooden structure as planned on August 24, 2026. The whole team is really looking forward to this next phase of construction.

August 9, 2026: Our shipping containers, along with our building materials, are still stuck in customs. Due to the large number of different line items, we need the port staff’s cooperation. After several postponements, we now expect clearance on August 12, 2026. This means the project team must focus on further preparatory work, as the main construction cannot begin due to a shortage of threaded rods (which are in the container). Consequently, during the first week of August, all sleepers, supports, and clamps were cut to length, sanded, and treated with wood preservative. For the two shipping containers themselves, individual foundations were erected on an adjacent property. They are intended to serve as a materials storage facility for the community in the future.

^{Filmed and edited by Sophie Greilach & Nadja Rehm}

Masonry, concrete, and wood construction work. July 2026 // The utility building is being constructed.
August 1, 2026: The bricks were delivered on time, the mortar mixer is running, and the tools have been organized. Finally, the first bricks can be laid on the foundation. Drill holes were made beforehand for the threaded rods that will be installed later. These are needed to secure the building’s wooden structure to the foundation. We were also able to complete the masonry work on the utility building. To ensure sufficient light enters the building, glass blocks were integrated into a modern design. The masonry and concrete work is now complete, which means we can focus on preparing the wooden components for the future main building. Wooden beams are being sanded and sealed to protect them from the elements and pests. As soon as our construction containers arrive, we’ll have all the materials needed to erect the first sections of the building. We hope these can be picked up at the port of São Tomé on August 5, 2026.

^{Filmed and edited by Sophie Greilach & Nadja Rehm}

July 1, 2026: One by one, the students arrive at the construction site in Agua Ize´. They need to organize supplies for their shared housing and discuss construction plans with the project partners and local supporters. Work on the construction site itself begins with measuring for the wooden structure of the future building, followed by the installation of water and sewage lines for the kitchen and bathroom, and subsequent concrete work. The next step involves preparing the masonry work for the walls of the sanitation building and the concrete work for the building’s entrance stairs.

^{Filmed and edited by Sophie Greilach & Nadja Rehm}

On 18 April 2026, our project team gathered in Reckahn to load all donated materials for the new kindergarten in Água Izé, São Tomé, into the shipping containers. By early May, the containers will be sealed and start their journey from Hamburg via Portugal to West Africa. In early July, they are expected to reach Água Izé – just in time for our joint project of Missão AMEM, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, and Mirador e.V. to move into the construction phase on site, so that the children can soon watch their new kindergarten grow.

Between 10 and 18 January 2026, the first preparations for the future construction site were carried out. The former kindergarten building was demolished, the footprint of the new building was marked out, and local craftsmen were involved in the construction planning. With the breaking of ground, the old foundation slab gives way to a fresh new base — the starting point for everything that follows. When the students arrive from 1 July 2026 onwards, the new kindergarten will be built using an innovative timber construction method, fully adapted to the local climate and cultural context.

Following the presentation event at the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau, three final designs have emerged as strong candidates for further planning and implementation. Central to the selection were a user-centred approach to spatial layout and movement areas, natural lighting and ventilation, as well as structural and construction requirements.

On 9 July 2025, students from the Departments of Architecture and Real Estate Management presented their designs for the planned new kindergarten building on São Tomé. At the premises of the Federal Environment Agency, approximately 30 design schemes — including architectural models showcasing a wide variety of creative approaches — were presented by students from the 2nd, 4th, and 6th semesters to staff, lecturers, professors, and project stakeholders. Among the presentations were also four Bachelor's theses.

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