Kijana Global Innovation Library
Water Management Masterplan and Fountain Design
David Maria d’Olimpio
Architectural Designer, Dameron Architecture
As an Architectural Designer at Dameron Architecture, I contributed to the campus master planning and water management system design for the Kijana Global Innovation School near Butere, Kenya. The resulting system is a combination of low-tech water retention and erosion control to compensate for the site’s dramatic slope and extreme dry/rainy seasons, as well as improve the campus’ agricultural output to feed students from the local communities.
Rainwater is collected in the library’s large expressed gutter, making its way to underground cisterns for agricultural irrigation through a series of expressive fountain designs - each inspired by an iconic animal from the region.
The diagrammatic sketches below show initial design concepts that were further developed into the renders and construction drawings sent to the team in Kenya.
As of early 2026 the building is still in construction: in these photos fountain access points have been cut into the expressed gutter.
Landscaping, pumps, and irrigation paths are currently being laid out across the site by local craftsmen to ensure the building will successfully capture and distribute water where needed across the school campus.
