Designing a Catholic School in the Twenty-First Century

Data show an increasing number of Catholic schools from elementary to tertiary levels in developing countries, especially countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. These new Catholic schools seem to follow the industrial-era school design trajectories. However, the exigencies of the 21st century require a paradigm shift, ensuring that Catholic schools move away from the industrial method of education that did not attend to the specific educational needs of the student to a kind of education that further enriches the holistic education offered by the Catholic school. This enrichment includes architectural designs that support Catholic educational ideals and practices that preserve the earth. This article attempts to stimulate discussions around Catholic designs in this century. It argues that the holistic education that the Catholic school offers can support the cause for the preservation of the earth through integral ecology and careful and purposeful architectural designs of the Catholic school. Though the article addresses an issue specific to the design of Catholic schools in Sub-Saharan Africa, it proposes factors that Catholic school designers, planners, and builders must consider when developing a design framework for Catholic schools anywhere in the world. It also suggests strategies Catholic schools can deploy to implement the principles in Laudato si.