2 minute read
Straf! KABO Beringen a2o architecten and AAC Architecture
from Where we Learn
ABOVE Nearly completely translucent, the modest house radiates light through the valley and symbolises happiness.
RIGHT A small pond appears below the bottom of the first-floor patio. Rain drops fall from the deck into the pool on rainy days, and visitors can hear the sound inside. JINHUA The essence of the structure located in an ancient mountain forest in Wuyi County, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, is pure and simple. Its secret lies in coexistence. First and foremost, the house concurs with the rich, complex and omnipresent nature scattering the old village at different altitudes within the mountain line, separated by dense, ancient forests. Some of the village features are intact, while others have withered with time, like the collapsed old cowshed. We all must coexist with change, and the village has seen much of it. In this new chapter, the book house aims to propose a serene reading space that allows people to settle for a moment. On the one hand, the project is targeted toward young people and children who have left the mountains for more liveable conditions. On the other hand, it provides a colourful place in which the elderly can escape isolation and feel the happiness of connection and silent coexistence. Held by ten structural columns, the house features a first floor with an overhead semi-outdoor space and a tiny water bar accessible to villagers and passers-by. The second floor houses the books, shelves and areas for quiet reading. A staircase connects this section to the outdoors, thus linking various activities.
Learn to look at the outside from Cottonwood Canyon Experience Center designed by Signal Architecture + Research
RIGHT Balancing nature with the manufactured, the Experience Center was designed to suit the landscape it is part of: resilient, rugged and self-sufficient. Photos Gabe Border
Where We Learn investigates how learning spaces are evolving to be made more engaging, flexible and all-around better suited to today’s challenges and opportunities.
When educational spaces are designed not only to suit, but to harness the power of new learning models, they have a catalytic potential to improve the way knowledge is shared and retained. At one time static, spaces where learning takes place have expanded far beyond the walls of the classroom to spill into more flexible and interactive settings.
Where We Learn offers some of the most novel insights into the design and performance of new environments that are better adapted to contemporary pedagogical practices. This book sheds light on over 40 projects worldwide, ranging from kindergartens, schools and universities to libraries, study cafes and museums. Geared towards readers interested in understanding the broader impact of design on the human experience, Where We Learn highlights imaginative projects while remaining grounded in practical contexts and real-world settings.
DESIGN WITH AGILITY X Museum Beijing by TEMP
DESIGN FOR COMMUNITY Mountain House in Mist by Shulin Architecture Design DESIGN FOR INNOVATION G’s Academy Fukuoka by Nomoto Sekkei
DESIGN WITH NATURE Cottonwood Canyon Experience Center by Signal Architecture + Research
