The Eastern Mediterranean International School (EMIS) provides high-level education based on humanistic values for gifted youth from all facets of the local population, including students from the occupied territories (West Bank).

At the time of the project the EMIS new campus was in need of landscaping for the areas between and around the new buildings in order to create a more varied, richly textured and inspiring learning environment. The involvement of students in the designing and building of this environment was meant to provide manifold opportunities for faculty development and the engendering of a heightened sense of connection, both with the campus, the living environment and with each other.

As part of its overall vision the project was to address the following essential aspects of sustainable design: energy, waste, water, productivity and materials.

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Design features addressing the concrete pedagogical, ecological, social and aesthetic needs of the school community will include:

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• aesthetically designed, inviting, shaded sitting areas, using natural building techniques and materials (adobe/cob building, wood construction, arbors made of natural branches etc.)

• shaded outdoor teaching spaces

• outdoor performance space

• artistic design elements made of natural materials (gateways, way posts, garden furniture, murals, mosaics et)

• the creation of a rich and varied semi-natural environment which can serve both as an arena for the study of eco-systems and as an inspiration for artistic creation

• rainwater harvesting, treatment and use for irrigation; creation of swales (water retention channels) for increased water retention

• biological grey-water recycling using reed beds

• artistically designed, sustainable water features: ponds, waterfalls, water courses

• raised beds and other permaculture inspired agricultural features

• vertical planting utilising recycled materials (pallets etc)

• green roofs and planting containers using recycled materials

• composting facilities

• recycling area

• use of alternative energy sources