Lolo’s Library is a community-led learning space designed for Adams Central Elementary School in Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Developed in collaboration with Adams Central Elemantary School, the Adams Local Government Unit and the community of Adams , the project responds to the need for a dedicated library and communal learning environment within Adams, a rural municipality where access to educational resources remains limited. The proposal reimagines the library not only as a place for books, but as a space for gathering, play, self-learning, and connection to community and landscape.
The project began with a simple but urgent need. Adams Central Elementary School currently uses a classroom as its library, reducing valuable teaching space while limiting access to a dedicated learning environment for students. Creating a space centred around learning and curiosity became an opportunity to support both education and community life.
For Nyami Studio, the library represents more than a building. It is an investment in access, imagination, and opportunity. A place where children can read, explore, gather, and learn beyond the boundaries of the classroom. The project reflects our belief that architecture can act as a tool for empowerment, particularly within underserved communities
Community Design
Community thinking sits at the centre of Lolo’s Library. The project was developed not simply as a standalone building, but as a shared social space connected to the rhythms of school and community life
The proposal creates open platforms, gathering spaces, playful learning environments, and shaded communal areas that encourage interaction beyond formal education. The library becomes an extension of the school, a place for reading, storytelling, workshops, rest, and informal gathering.
The concept of ‘Bayanihan’, the Filipino spirit of collective community support, became an important influence throughout the project. This idea shaped both the architectural approach and the ambition for the building to feel open, welcoming, and shared by everyone
Collaboration
Lolo’s Library developed through collaboration across multiple scales. Alongside Nyami Studio, the project involved students, engineers, mentors, educators, and contributors through workshops and work-experience programmes in collaboration with Corstorphine & Wright.
These collaborations introduced ideas around sensory learning, play, sustainability, and alternative ways of reading and inhabiting space. Early design explorations imagined reading nets, hammock spaces, window seating, climbing areas, and flexible communal platforms that encourage children to learn through movement, interaction, and exploration rather than rigid classroom layouts.
The process embraced experimentation and collective creativity, allowing the project to evolve through shared ideas rather than a singular authorship.
Construction and Materiality
Lolo’s Library explores the use of locally sourced, climate-responsive materials, including bamboo, timber, corrugated roofing and recycled elements. Inspired by vernacular Filipino architecture and the traditional Bahay Kubo, the design incorporates a raised structure, natural cross-ventilation, lightweight construction and shaded communal spaces suited to the tropical climate of Adams
The project was developed in close collaboration with Kawayan Collective Tarlac, a Filipino bamboo specialist, supplier and manufacturer of construction-grade treated bamboo, prefabricated panels and other bamboo building components. Kawayan Collective supported the sourcing, treatment, fabrication and preparation of the bamboo used throughout the building, helping to ensure that the material was durable and suitable for long-term structural use
Bamboo was selected not only for its connection to Filipino building traditions, but also for its environmental benefits. As a rapidly renewable material that can be grown and processed within the Philippines, bamboo offers a lower-impact alternative to many conventional construction materials while supporting local growers, manufacturers and skilled craftspeople. Kawayan Collective’s work demonstrates how responsibly processed Philippine bamboo can become a durable and sustainable construction material while contributing to local employment, knowledgesharing and social housing initiatives.
The library’s modular design allows the building to be repaired, adapted and expanded over time as the needs of the school and wider community evolve. This approach promotes long-term resilience by using repeatable components, locally understood construction methods and materials that can be maintained using skills and resources available within the region.
Bayanihan
Lolo’s Library was made possible through the collective efforts of people from the United Kingdom and the Philippines. Alongside the Nyami Studio team, UK-based volunteers Jack Rankin, Nichola Gallagher, Iza Thompson, Saif Malik and Jocelyn Palacio travelled to Adams to support the construction of the library
Throughout the build, the team experienced Bayanihan first-hand: the Filipino tradition of a community coming together to achieve a shared goal. Volunteers from the Local Government Unit, supported by Mayor Homer M. Domingo, worked alongside members of the local police and fire brigade, the Kawayan Collective team, local craftspeople, teachers and students from Adams Central Elementary School.
Students from another local high school also participated in the construction process. Under the guidance of Iza Thompson, they learned how to prepare and apply a natural earth render using soil collected from the site. This hands-on activity allowed traditional and locally accessible building techniques to be shared with a younger generation while giving the students a direct role in shaping the finished library.
The collaborative construction process transformed the project into more than a new building. It became an exchange of knowledge, skills and cultures, demonstrating how architecture can bring people together and create a stronger sense of community ownership. The library therefore reflects not only the work of Nyami Studio, but the generosity, knowledge and collective effort of everyone who contributed to its creation.
Project Opportunities
Educational Opportunities:
Lolo’s Library creates a dedicated learning space for the children of Adams Central Elementary School, providing access to books, self learning environments, and educational resources outside of the traditional classroom. The project aims to support literacy, curiosity, and long term educational growth within the community.
Community Participation:
Developed through collaboration with the local community, the project encourages shared ownership and collective involvement throughout the design process. The library is envisioned as an open and welcoming space for reading, gathering, creativity, and connection
Cultural Identity:
Inspired by the traditional Bahay Kubo and the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan, the design celebrates local heritage, communal values, and connection to the surrounding landscape. The project reinterprets familiar architectural forms to create a contemporary space rooted in Filipino culture.
Sustainable Growth:
Using locally available and climate responsive materials such as bamboo, timber, and recycled elements, the project promotes sustainable and adaptable construction. Beyond functioning as a library, the space is designed to support future workshops, community activities, and long term learning opportunities for Adams.
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