Background Info - Equiano Centre

The Equiano Centre is being built for the Waterloo Partnership, a twinning charity set up in 2003 between Waterloo, Freetown, Sierra Leone and Waterloo, Liverpool, UK.

Sierra Leone is on the West African coast. It was colonised soon after 1787 when Great Britain established a settlement in the capital Freetown for repatriated slaves. After Great Britain left in 1961 the country became independent and suffered a turbulent forty years. The latest Civil war which ended in 2002 left a legacy of mutilation and deep psychological trauma and a generation who have missed out on their childhood and education.

Despite the complete lack of infrastructure, clean water or drainage provision, the Waterloo community wanted a library to provide a legacy for future generations and ensure they do not miss out as they have. The Library will be open to and accessible by all. This means not just the 30% Literate but also the 70% illiterate of the population. It will therefore not only hold 100,000 books but also a flexible IT based resource centre and teaching rooms for reading or classes.

The opportunity for social investment is not just in the building itself but in the effects of the building. The money spent on the library will pay local wages and buy materials. Much like major buildings do in the uk, it will provide opportunities for new businesses. The library will provide opportunities for training both during the construction and afterwards and aims to be a benchmark in quality and health and safety.

Whitbybird is providing all engineering design services for free ….

Our design creates a low maintenance structure for quick construction using local skills and appropriate technology. The success of any building depends on the level of comfort for its occupants. The power supply, lighting and cooling and disposal of waste at the library are key problems for a country near the equator with no public services or national power supply.

We use shading to reduce the sunlight onto the façade and thick walls to regulate the temperature in the building while allowing plenty of indirect sunlight into the rooms. Some electrical power is required, and we hope to specify renewable energy sources to generate this.

The cost of construction is estimated at between £750,000 - £1,000,000.