Coresi Kindergarten
The third teacher is the environment - a setting designed to be not only functional but also beautiful and reflective of the child's learning.
Location - Brasov, Romania
Client - Brasov City Hall
Area - 3300 mp
Architects - Vlad Bija, Andreea Tudorancea,
Ingrid Zarnovean, Liviu Zarnovean.
Status - Completion scheduled in 2025
In designing this project we had the pleasure to collaborate with arch. Mihai Grapa, who delighted us with his vision:
"Educational research shows that children's learning and development processes take place in interaction with other children, teachers and the physical environment. The kindergarten can thus be seen as a 'third teacher'. Shape, light, colours, materials, smells, sounds and microclimate will thus be important parameters during the design process.
The design will be based on children's imagination and understanding of the world, so the building itself will be a mentor. The kindergarten will provide a safe environment for children, but at the same time facilitate play, learning and physical activity through spatial contexts where light and shadows, varying sizes of spaces, sounds and smells will create extraordinary places. The building will also challenge children's motor skills as well as their imagination and creativity."
We have implemented some very clear principles:
Dynamic architecture - playful
Spatial loop and continuity - providing infinite running space
Atrium - the inner courtyard - gives a sense of safety to both children and parents
Artificial relief - a green slope rising up the entire roof - it's incredible what a small hill can do for children.
"The new kindergarten building will be an artificial, non-intrusive relief for the environment and will thus subordinate itself to the green outdoor space. It will be designed in the form of a continuous spatial loop surrounding the entire playground. The design of the project will be contemporary, atypical of the classical image of similar institutions (kindergartens, schools) built during the communist period.
The architecture will be dynamic and at the same time playful, the building being linked to the soft profile of the land by ramps at different heights, thus creating a large continuous park/playground, formed by the courtyard of the building which then rises up to the whole roof.
The kindergarten will be structured around the playground, a central atrium extended to the south of the plot, which will ensure a sense of safety and connectivity of its interior spaces."
arch. Mihai Grapa
