REGGIO A N A R C H I T E C T U R A L S TO RY O F D I S C O V E RY A N D E X P L O R AT I O N
Ariane Lieberherr - Design Studio 4.2
A Uniting Threshold
Prologue
Agenda
9
Cultural 10
Communities 58 a new town square
60
12
a village green
62
programme 16
a community hub
66
precedents 20
reingaging north square
68
A School in Dorchester
A journey 70
A school of disconvery through art
26
Dorchesster 27
Key ordering principles
72
30
the journey
74
The starting point
40
key strategies
42
Gardens 80
Site alalysis
articulating the gardens
84
Spaces for exploration
88
intent 46 formal articulation
50
Learning 90 Creating 96
REGGIO
4
Reflecting
98
Telling stories
100
Thresholds & Other Articulations
Epilogue
Materiality 106
Regulatory compliance
Material palette
108
cost 136
Key principles
110
construction design management
137
Tectonic study
112
part b - fire strategy
138
part m - access strategy
139
natural ventilation 125
design development
140
daylighting 127
the different stages
140
acoustics 129
the working method
142
reflections
144
Environmental strategy
124
136
rainwater reuse 131 floor finishes
133
5
REGGIO
REGGIO
6
acknowledgement
This report is my final submission for Bath University’s Bsc in Architecture. It is the result of five months of work. Although it is the work of one person, it would not have been possible without those who helped me rediscover my project over and over again, questioning it, turning it on its head, till it turned from a daydream into a scheme -
Martin Gledhill Julia Kashdan Brown Feilden & Fowles James Khruly Tim Osborn John Griffiths
7
REGGIO
REGGIO
8
Prologue
“It is simply this: do not tire, never lose interest, never grow indifferent—lose your invaluable curiosity and you let yourself die. It’s as simple as that.” Tove Jansson, Fair Play
Beyond its unsettling quality, the uncanny experience shakes us out of our torpor. Architecture, like art, should intend to spark our curiosity, reconnecting with the child in each of us.
9
REGGIO
reinchantment
Growing up we slip into the comfort of habit. Innovation and progress take the foreground, and what mattered to us originally is forgotten. In Proust’s words “Habit is a second nature which prevents us from knowing the first, of which it has neither the cruelties nor the enchantments.” Today especially our society’s thirst for speed makes us us loose sight of the humane. In architecture, buildings tend to be money saving, efficient or symbols of wealth, not tailored to experiences. As says Pallasma - “in the face of the miracles brought about by technical innovations we tend to underestimate or entirely neglect the miracles of life itself”. We seem dismembered from all aspects of the world we live in. Alain De Botton blames this disengament on thezv fact we feel everything has already been discovered. It can also be tied to our binary way of thinking of things as either / or, open / closed, natural / man-made, beginning / end... We tend to forget their ambivalence and embrace only one. Aldo van Eyck says - “only one half of each was warped into a meaningless absolute-part”. He discusses the topic lengthily referring to “twin phenomenon”. According to him, the only way to design spaces engaging with each of us is to relink the “twin-phenomena” - making the building a mediator, between the sky and the earth, the rational and the irrational ... Like art. Van Eyck calls this the “in-between realm”. It is much richer and varied that seeing things in monochrome. There, we discover all the possible variations within the existing order and try to decipher the pattern - to unlock the key to how things work. From the youngest age we start building on these theories. This feeling of discovery and understanding is what makes us feel alive, curious and engaged.
the in-between - language of art, phenomenology and the universal unconcious
engaging
passive
REGGIO
10
8
the network - languiage of art, phenomenology and the universal unconcious
the “in-betweem realm”
Aalto said - “works of art need to succeed in doing the impossible to unify the opposites”. With art, we try to uncover deeper truths, expressing things that resonate within us which seem just out of reach of our concious understanding. “Poetry especially in its present endeavours, can only correspond to attentive thought that is enamoured with something unknown and especially receptive to becoming” - Bachelard. In The poetics of spaces Bachelard introduces us to a universal language linking us all - phenomenology - which when experienced gives this same feeling of meaning and vitality. The philosophy of phenomenology maintains that images evoking the most feeling are also the most basic ones - as says Pallasma “the richness of a work of art lies in the vitality of the images it arouses, and paradoxically the images open to most interpretations are aroused by the simplest most archetypal forms.” Architecture too has “its own origins, and if it moves too far away from them it loses effectiveness”.
11
REGGIO
challenging traditional hierarchies
a school of discovery through art challenging traditional hierarchies
“Though I can’t prove it, deep in my heart I know that every person is born with the love of learning. Without exception. Every infant studies its toes and fingers, and a child’s discovery of his or her voice must be one of the most extraordinary of life’s moments… Imagine an infant lying in its cradle, discovering its voice, purring and murmuring MMM to itself.” - Leonard Bernstein Schools play a crucial role in preserving our love of learning - our curiosity. They help us understand and develop the part we play within the school, the community, the town - and the world. They help not only children to question and discover but also parents, teachers - and at a grander scale - towns.. Like with art, the children’s fresh perspective reveals hidden possibilites. Art being our most basic method of discovery and schools first and foremost places of
A fractured society - where children are not integrated
discovery - I think all schools should be art schools. The kindergarten, focused on exploration within a safe environment, illustrates these values very well.
A fractured society - where children are not integrated
However, there seems to be a lack of innovation in later education. There, children are rewarded for logic and discipline, not encouraged to develop creativity and imagination. This makes students feel passive - education needs to be humane and engaging and not strictly utilitarian and passive to be effective. I still remember the frustration and realisation that hit me the first day I was asked to take a formula for granted in Maths class. We are bombarded with these kind of situations at school - it is no wonder our senses become blunted.
a system where children and adults collaboa system where children and adults collaborate
rate encourages innovation encourages innovation “The moment the child begins school ... the child has to be sitting in a confined environment and pay attention to goals that he has no choice
a system where children and adults collaborate encourages innovation
over... The child doesn’t know why he does what he is doing, the goals are not clear... Instead of exploring and following their interest they have to comply with the environment of adult world which they don’t
SCHOOL
COMMUNITY
SCHOOL
COMMUNITY
understand - for many children this spontaneous flair that is a birth right for all human beings ends all too soon once they enter school.” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi The building too should not only address quantitative qualities (optimum light
SCHOOL
levels, safety, air quality) but also how and what children learn, dealing with
SCHOOL
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY
qualities appealing to the imagination - such as form, light, texture and colour, to be an enivronment in which children want to think.
Reintegrating the school within the community Reintegrating the school within the community
“I have plenty of machinery around me; what I really need is a more enchanting world in which to live and work.”
Dialogue
- Thomas Moore, The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life creativity creativity
Dialogue
REGGIO
12
unearthing a forgo
reggio emilia The Reggio Emilia movement focuses on learning through discovery A fractured society - where children are not integrated
unearthing a hidde
as a community. It challenges our dualistic thinking, supporting learning through interactions and exploration “The movement challenges so many false dichotomies: art versus science, individual versus community, ... enjoyment versus study, by achieving a unique harmony that spans these contrasts, it reconfigures our sclerotic categorical systems.” - Gardner
a system where children and adults collaborate encourages innovation
The model was created after World War 2 in a small village in Reggio Emilia. It was decided that to start anew the village should build a SCHOOL
COMMUNITY
school, educating both children and themselves, creating a future for the entire community. They were searching for what it meant to be a citizen of both present and future. They not only wanted to educate, but also provide parents the right to work. Beyond providing family services, these schools are places for the education of entire communities - offering them the opportunity to renew themselves by
COMMUNITY
SCHOOL
reassessing the child’s role - not only as needing education, but also as offering a new vision. This sharing of a human identity, where we Reintegrating the school within the community
listen and develop relationships of reciprocity defines the Reggio approach. All adopting this model share this aim however it adapts to each culture, approaching local value with the aim of developing
Dialogue
something local. The school becomes an expression of the history
creativity
and value of the community as well as a possibility for renewal. The model is rooted in very democratic ideas of reciprocity and listening. By building something benefitting not only you but a community, you learn democracy - you learn to remain engaged in life. Learning as an individual among others, you learn the interdependences at the root of democracy - in the past and for the future. The Reggio approach considers the educator to be : the child, the
stimulus - response
suggestion - contersuggestion
“traditional” vs. reggio education (original diagram in Lernen von Reggio)
teacher and the environment. It assumes children, driven by their interests and curiosity, can take charge of their own learning (the competent child). Social and physical interactions help them build an understanding of their place in the world (pedagogy of relationships and listening). Reggio schools have an atelier and believe exploration and discovery are essential to learning. They maintain that besides speaking - children have many other ways of expressing themselves (the hundred languages of children). The model aims for a smooth transition in the child’s education and accords a lot of Importance to the quality of school spaces. 13
REGGIO
a reggio environment “The model demonstrates how teachers can, through documentation and teamwork, prepare school activities and environments that awaken young children powers to perceive study and represent the beautiful and orderly worlds of nature and culture surrounding them.” Ten notions of a Reggio Emilia environment guide the spatial organisation and indicating the pedagogical nature of spaces ina Reggio school. The following section summarises these from “Children, Spaces, Relations” by Loris Malaguzzi.
Recognisability - Despite being very flexible, the architecture and at-
School and community - Reggio Emilia schools have a close
mosphere should have a specific character.
relationship with the town. They are well integrated with their surroundings in terms of culture and treatment of space.
Horizontality - A horizontal layout attempts to not create hierarchy between different spaces, illustrating ideas of functional democracy
Inside-outside relationship - As the school exists at a par-
and equality. Despite being still important today, a better understand-
ticular time and place, it should feel what is happening out-
ing of space requirements has created variations.
side, in terms of the different patterns of the weather, time and of the town’s activity.
Piazza - All main spaces face a central piazza. As a place of meeting, it encourages social relationships. Here, group activities take place and
Transparency - Initially this had to do with understanding
children develop a notion of public identity. The piazza also replaces
individual elements as part of a larger system. Today its im-
corridors whose sole function is distribution. These usually cannot be
portance lies in the ability to see from a space into another
used for activities and have historically helped adults maintain disci-
in order to develop a sense of depth and spatial perception.
pline over children. Transformability and flexibility - Children and adults should be able
Communication - As these schools are discovery based and rely on the exchange of ideas, communication within the
to transform their environment throughout the day and year - exper-
school and with the outside is crucial. This project based ed-
imenting with space.
ucation system is guided by the relationship between teachers, children and parents. Communication requires large
Atelier - Along with the classrooms, the atelier becomes the schools’
spaces both in and outside the school as it involves many
workshop.
different stakeholders such as the school and community, children and adults ... In these kindergartens communication
School as workshop - The pedagogy of self-directed exploration
becomes another layer to the interior space. Material such
turns the entire school into a workshop. All spaces promote research
as the children’s work, printouts, posters, or mirrors drape
and discovery and are accessible by children, including the kitchen
partitions.
and offices.
REGGIO
14
a reggio based primary school
Compared to other educational movements, such as Montessori or Steiner, what makes the Reggio approach unique is the emphasis on social relationships. Whereas Montessori very clearly takes into account Piaget’s ideas of cognitive learning stages, as well as John Dewey’s theories of how children learn through senses, Reggio claims to stem from the montessori approach and incorporates Vygotsky’s ideas of how children need learn within communities - referring to “scaffolding”. When looking at the characteristics of a Reggio environment, we recognise many characteristics of our contemporary vision of a good school. It does however retain some specificites - a discovery based program with an emphasis on artistic expression - a very site specific approach - an emphasis on the importance of community - an emphasis on democracy reflected in the environment -an emphasis on documentation and learning process rather than final product (making learning visible ) Despite its success, the Reggio model, like any system still changing and improving has its downfalls. Gardner mentions it in the hundred langeuages of children. The first problem is probably the lack of later innovative education “this wonderful start achieved by the youngsters is threatened and perhaps undermined by a secondary and tertiary educational system that is far less innovative”. Also, the ten notions of a reggio environment are not to be taken too literally -the emphasis should still be on the child’s experience. Wanting to adress the issues while celebrating the successs of the reggio model, I chose to design a school for children from 3 - 11 years old, based on the reggio principles of an approach focusing on discovery, locality, democratic reciprocal relationships, documentation and community. This school welcomes 150 children - 15 children in both reception and nursery, younger children needing more attention, and 20 in later classes.
15
REGGIO
program development My scheme accords particular attemtion to spaces responding to : atelier, locality, democratic reciprical relationships, documentation, or community, and considers the 10 principles of a reggio environment. The sizing of spaces was directed by the BB99 Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects (2006) in order to anchor it to both locality ( UK education system) and a more real life situation. The first aproximation was made using the SOA tool caluclator and revisited based on the specificity of the reggio program - this response can be seen below. Quiet areas library - 26m2 group room (SEN) - 12 m2
Reception office /reception - 13m2 interview room - 6m2 cleaners store - 1.5 m2 community store - 4m2 inc. waiting space
Transition zone 1 from parking
Transition zone 2 from gateway
Cen 150 din sta gro
Transition zone 3 entrance 3m2 including welcome board
Staff staff room - 32m2 head’s office - 12m2 sick bay - 4m2 accessible WC - 2x3.5m2 general store - 2x6m2
deivery
Kitchen - 41m2 store - 6m2 cleaner store - 1.5m2 vegetable herb garden
REGGIO
16
Community Atelier 100 m2 inc. specialist storage - 6m2
Gallery s100 m2 inc. specialist storage - 6m2
Store chair / table 12m2 PE store 12m2 wheelchair / appliance bay 1.5m2 external PE store - 4m2
Atelier (6 -11 yo) 100 m2 inc. specialist storage - 6m2
Sport Pitches (soft) 3080 - 3688 m2 juniors only
Junior module (7-11 yo) x 4 80 m2 x 4 inc. storage and lockers
Games courts (hard) 631 - 1185 m2
Toilets 3 x 6m2 Infant module (5-7 yo) x 2 80m2 x 2 storage
ntral “Piazza� 0m2 ning space age oup work
Soft play 908 - 1462 m2
Reception module (4 - 5 yo) 100 m2 inc: foundation toilets 2 x 4m2 storage
Health hygiene room 9m2 Medical Inspection room 12m2
Hard play 354 - 908 m2 seperate outdoor play staff and admin learning spaces
Atelier (3 -7 yo) 75 m2 inc. specialist storage - 6m2
common spaces
Nursery module (3-4 yo) 100 m2 inc: foundation toilets 2 x 4m2 storage
service spaces outdoor spaces
17
REGGIO
program development
Another layer was later added exploring how the concepts of atelier, locality, democracy, documentation, and community, could be pushed further. This aproach is shown below and was later adapted to the chosen site.
community services shared
Gallery space - documentation, making learning visible for the town
S.
accessible wc
cleaners group room 30m2
library 41m2
ateli
kitchen 41m2
com chair, table 12m2
interview room 6m2 wc
democratization - no “staff specific� spaces
staff room 32m2
general S.
ateli
administrative
wc
wc
S
wc
recep
office / reception 13m2
REGGIO
head's office 12m2
general store 6m2 cleaners 1.5m2
18
MI room 12 m2
sick bay 4m2
nursery module 100m2
wc
hygiene room 9m2
S. community wc
access mediated
studios private modules shared spaces storage & hygiene
accessible wc
S. external pe
storage 6m2
gym / hall 150m2
ier module 100m2
atelier module 100m2
mmunity exploration
pe store 12m2
S S
S
S
ier module 100m2 infant module
wc
junior module 80m2
junior module 80m2
S S
S
S
ption module 100m2 infant module
junior module 80m2
junior module 80m2
19
REGGIO
precedents
Thinking of integrated buildings, promoting discovery and community, with an overarching “equalizing� order - indian palaces came to mind. Organised around a series of courtyards -each with its own atmosphere transporting you to a different world - they are built in a stone that seems to grow out of the mountain they perch on.
REGGIO
20
I was also remided of the Katsura Villa and japanese architecture in general - which aims to encapsule an entire microcosm and has a very refined approach to the threshold.
21
REGGIO
I was also inspired by Studio Weave’s House of Fairytales project. It is a museum on Chris Anderson and shares similar ambitions with me and the reggio model - of uncoverring hidden truths and creating a feeling of discovery. I also admire how despite having such an ambitious agenda, their projects remain playful and unpretentious.
REGGIO
22
Atelier Bow-Wow’ projects and Pezo Von Ellrichhausen both explore the interrelatedness of spaces. The first through studying behaviour - illustrating their ideas through sectional perspectives. The second explores the variety of repetitionthrough art installations and geometrical studies.
23
REGGIO
Wallace Stevens’ poem sums up my intention of creating a building that both speaks for itself with its own character and identity, while blending into the larger context.
Anecdote of the Jar I placed a jar in Tennessee, And round it was, upon a hill. It made the slovenly wilderness Surround that hill. The wilderness rose up to it, And sprawled around, no longer wild. The jar was round upon the ground And tall and of a port in air. It took dominion everywhere. The jar was gray and bare. It did not give of bird or bush, Like nothing else in Tennessee.
REGGIO
24
Pezo Von Ellrichausen’s architecture achieves this by - using very neutral and simple forms and construction methods- hiding circulation and other clutter within the walls. - using repetitive forms with slight variations to create richness. - giving their buildings a monolithic permanence.
25
REGGIO
A School in Dorchester
its squareness was, indeed, the characteristic which struck the eye in this antiquated borough, the borough of casterbridge - at that time recent as is was, untouched by the faintest sprinkle of modernism. It was compact as a box of dominoes. It had no suburbs- in the ordinary sense. Country and town met at a mathematical line. Thomas Hardy - The Mayor of Casterbridge
REGGIO
26
Map of Durnovaria 27
REGGIO
a town of many stories
Dorchester is the county town of Dorset. Originally a Roman town - Durnovaria, it still bears many similarities to it in plan, and is the hometowm to the renowed writer Thomas Hardy. It is there that his book “The Mayor of Casterbridge” is set. As Casterbridge in the book, Dorchester appears stuck in the past and not only because of its large population of elders. The new development - Poundbury - a contemporary housing development built in a classical style - illustrates this. The struggle bretween past and future seems present everywhere. The magazine the echo mentions assemblies organised to discuss the path forward while remaining faithful to their history. In the Mayor of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy remarks on the strong boundaries in Dorchester - this is particulary true in the north : in Fordington flood plain extend till the edge of the town because of the water meadows, preventing development. “To birds of the more soaring kind Casterbridge must have appeared on this fine evening as a mosaic-work of subdued reds, browns, greys, and crystals, held together by a rectangular frame of deep green. To the level eye of humanity it stood as an indistinct mass behind a dense stockade of limes and chestnuts, set in the midst of miles of rotund down and concave field. The mass became gradually dissected by the vision into towers, gables, chimneys, and casements, the highest glazings shining bleared and bloodshot with the coppery fire they caught from the belt of sunlit cloud in the west.”
REGGIO
28
29
REGGIO
site choice
A site which would benefit from and enrich a Reggio school is one that is fractured from the community today yet able to liven the town, creating new relationships and rekindling old ones. It should also offer a rich variety of experiences including large expanses of green spaces.The first Reggio Kindergarten the Diana Kindergarten in Reggio Emilia, is located on such a site. Previously a dissused theatre, the new school adopted it’s name. Located at the fringe between rural and urban, it acts as a mediator and offers many experiences.
REGGIO
30
31
REGGIO
REGGIO
32
site choice
Historically schools in Dorchester have been located in the North. Today
He who opens a school door, closes a
these have been closed and the remaining school are located to the south
prison.
(plan). ~Victor Hugo Additionally to being close to historical school sites, the car park and riverbank around the former Dorchester Prison, seem ideal for a reggio school. The site is located at the far north edge of the town centre and is lined to the north by the river; beyond which lies water meadows. The site has a rich history, a proximity to town and the countryside, a variety of terrain, and is currently cut off because of the car park on north square and the prison’s imposing walls.
33
REGGIO
The journey around
The site is located at the threshold between the town and countryside. Going from one to the other, one gets the uncanny feeling of having
4
travelled more than is the case, because of the changes of levels of enclosure, building heights and the sudden presence of nature. The site is in the Dorchester Conservation Area. North Square is listed as signicant open space, as is the river bank on the prison’s northern boundary, which is noted as an area of important trees. The majority of the surrounding accomodation is residential built in brick and slate. The building line varies because of the
3
change in topography and changes of building height - not exceeding 3 storeys.
2
1
REGGIO
34
1
2
3
4
35
REGGIO
the journey within
Across the site too, the character of the site changes. Changes in terrain, orientation, density of woodland, creates changes in light and levels of enclsure. 3
The river bank is overshadowed by the prison, very sloped, and has protected trees. The water meadows are expansive and only have young sapplings. The car park is well-lit and flat, enclosed by the prison wall on
5
one side -rising up to 4.9 meters and overlooking Friary Hill on the other. 4 There is currently a housing development planning application for the entire site. I have decided to assume its execution for the back of the prison site - as I will discuss later.
1 2
REGGIO
36
1
3
2
4
5
(d)
37
REGGIO
past HIding behind its lack of place and identitiy, proabably due to the bareness of the car park and the prison wall’s closed character, the site hides a rich history of castels, crimes, and secret tunnels.
1137 The prison site was occupied by a Norman Castle - protected through its elevated position and proximity to the river. North Square was a Market area. 1272 The castle is believed to have fallen in disrepair and soon after to have been abandoned. 1832 1771
1611
1880
North square was known as the shambles and the rest of the prison site was ruins. Friary hill and Colliton street were lined by terrace houses. 1723 A map shows that the fields / ruins have been replaced by seperate gardens.
RIV
1771 ER F
RO M
A map suggests that the castle site is one open space and
E
TH E
RY H IA FR
G RO VE
I LL
that ramparts line the northern edge of the site.
COLLITON STREET
1723
188
1832 1771
REGGIO
38
1788 The site was chosen for dorchester’s new prison, designed by William Blackburn. All that remains of this original design is the entrance gate.
1832
1880
1771
1854 1856 Elizabeth Martha Brown was hanged in public outside the
A map shows the area to the east (the current car park) has not yet been developped.
prison in what is now the car park.
ER F
RO M
E
TH E
RY H IA FR
G RO VE
I LL
RIV
COLLITON STREET
1877 A map shows houses on the current car park. The area fronting the river is labelled green plot.
1723 1886
12/2013 The prison was decomissioned.
2014 A historic tunnel leading from the banks of the river Frome into the prison was discovered. An extensinve system of
1880
tunnels often links cellars.
2017 A planning application is made for a housing development on the entire prison and car par site.
39
REGGIO
The starting point “These trees are magnificent, but even more magnificent is the sublime and moving space between them, as though with their growth it too increased.� Rilke in The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard,
REGGIO
40
41
REGGIO
quated borough, the borough of Casterbridge--at that time, recent as it was, untouched by the faintest sprinkle of modernism. It was compact as a box of dominoes. It had no suburbs--in the ordinary sense. Country and town met at a mathematical line.
key strategies
To birds of the more soaring kind Caster-
unearthing a forgotten past bridge must have appeared on this fine
A CYCLICAL JOURNEY TOWARDS MEANING
physical world Upon arriving on North Square, exploration
we are struck by the sudden bareness - of the wall, of the flat car park, of the empty square. artistic social The imposing brick wall seemsidentity expression to be hiding away an entire part of town. My intention was to create a new flow of circulation within the prison site, uncovering it by running a road through FROM SHARED TO SHELTERED it, connected to theSPACES existing backroad. The wall and north (n)
square become the mediators between the town the school, the new community within the prison
unearthing a forgotten past
and the public face of my scheme
evening as a mosaic-work of subdued reds, browns, greys, and crystals, held together by natural of deep green. To the a rectangular frame world level eye of humanity it stood as an indistinct massschool behind a dense stockade of limes city and chestnuts, set in the midst of miles of rotund down and concave field. The mass became gradually dissected by the vision into towers, gables, chimneys, and casements, the highest glazings shining bleared andA MEANDERING bloodshot coppery fire they PATHwith TO THE the WATERMEADOWS caught from the belt of sunlit cloud in the west.� a hidden part of dorchester unearthing The Mayor of Casterbridge
- becoming more private as it slopes down to the river.
MEDIATORS BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY (o)
ulation
red space
42
lll
REGGIO
ltered functions
unearthing a hidden part of dorchester
layers of privacy
community
wall
courtyards and shared spaces
classrooms and other intimate spaces
43
REGGIO
REGGIO
44
site approach
As mentioned before, I have assumed that the back of the prison site will be used for a residential development. A radial grid emerges from the site’s boundaries and the axis of arrival from town. The drawing to the right illustrates the site including all assumptions I am making.
45
REGGIO
intent
My intention was to design a building that acts like a mediator. It engages with the site, the child in each of us, the community, and nature, cultivating existing, rekindling old, and exploring new relationships. The threshold becomes the key to all these intentions.
THE CHILD
REGGIO
46
THE GARDEN
THE SITE
THE COMMUNITY
47
REGGIO
concept
THE SITE
THE CHILD
THE GARDEN
THE COMMUNITY REGGIO
48
A BUILDING GROWING FROM THE WALL
SPACES FOR EXPLORATION
A JOURNEY THROUGH
SPACES FOR SHARING 49
REGGIO
formal articulation the unit
My intention was to repeat a simple form, letting meaning be perceived according to their connections - creating an impression of equality yet difference between them - like Hilla & Bescher’s series of industrial photographs illustrating the variety within a typology.
This clustered approach creates a dialogue between inside and outside, community and individual. It deals with the compromise between the sites radial structure and my intention of making spaces have the balance and stillness of an orthogonal structure - like complete entities in themselves.
Despite the clustered aproach,, the way the building emerges from the wall, makes the building feel like one. My intention of making the individual clusters orthogonal skews the grid.
REGGIO
50
fig 5 - Exploring the richness of repetition
51
REGGIO
formal articulation the whole 1
DISCOVERING
11
reading
12 exercising
Despite the clustered aproach,, the way the building emerges from the wall, makes the building feel like one. My intention of making the individual clusters orthogonal skews the grid.
REGGIO
52
learning
4
eating
4
10
meeting
3
cultivating 2
creating
5
reflecting
cooking
53
REGGIO
formal articulation the plan
1
11
12
1 - classrooms 2 - ateliers 3 - gallery spaces 4 - activity and dining spaces 5 - kitchen 6 - cafe including reception 7 - head office 8 - WC 9 - Medical Inspection room 10 - garden shed 11 - library 12 - gym
REGGIO
54
1
1
1
1 2 2
1
10
1
9 4
8
3
1 4 5 7
2
3 6
55
REGGIO
Uniting thresholds
56
REGGIO
57
REGGIO
Communities My intention was to create a new hub engaging with and creating new comunities. There are three principal communities involved the town, the the new residential community within the prison site, and the school community. 1- a town square 2 - a like village green 3 - a culture hub 4 - reingaging north square
3
REGGIO
58
4
1
2
59
REGGIO
a town square
1
The intention was to create a sense of place on north square. As the main entrance to the school, it is important that it be a slow and comforting transition for children. With its views on the church North square becomes a new hub for the town.The height of the chimney contributes to creating this sense of place. The entrance serves as a preview of the form of the space being entered - a similar recessed aproach is adopted in spaces within. On top of providing shelter, the recess receives a portion of exterior space into the realm of the building and gives us the impression of entering the wall. While resembling the other entrances, it destinguishes itself in scale - highlighting its role of main entrance, not only to the school but also to the prison site.
REGGIO
60
61
REGGIO
a village green
2
REGGIO
62
63
REGGIO
The space within the prison is shared between the new residential community in the prison and the school. Similar to the layering treatment of spaces inside the school, the square becomes less controlled and more private as you progress through the site. It is seperated into three zones. The first serves as a village green, and can be used by the school as a playfield. The second is a hard paved area for community events such as markets, festivals ... Finally, the third is a community garden shared by the residential and the school communities.
REGGIO
64
The triangular hard paved space follows the radial grid of the school and uses the same angle as Louis Khan does in the freedom park creating an optical illusion of depth, of being orthogonal at one end and being triangular at the other.
The gallery space lining the wall spills out creating an engaging frontage and a dialogue with the prison building.
65
REGGIO
a cultural hub
3
The old entrance to the prison is inverted and becomes a second entrance to the school, regrouping the gym and library. Entering the space, we arrive onlto a paved area onto which the gym spills out. The first thing we see is the group area in the libary, serving as a symbol for community, and the tree s behind it. A water feature seperates this hard floor and A shaded woodland planted area. Because of the Yew tree’s overhang, part of the site is much more shaded. The intention was to create a plazza that would feel more secret, accessible through the listed prison doorway, planted with shade loving plants such as ferns, wild garlic and blue bells.
REGGIO
66
67
REGGIO
reingaging north square
4
The intention was to recreate a sense of place on north square. The square currently feels bare and uninviting becauseof the unarticualte retaining wall and the large open space. The school achieves this in three ways. By Creating an active edge to the square. Giving acces to the community atelier. Responding to the dynamic roof line of the residential scale on the site.
REGGIO
68
69
REGGIO
A journey
I think a school should be like a small city. In a city you have small places, large places, all sorts of secluded and semi-secluded places, you have vistas and you have all sorts of activities. Hertzeberger
REGGIO
70
71
REGGIO
key ordering principles
The main circulation is a series of stepped courtyards, each with its individual character, making it punctuated by a series of events.
3
2 1
4
A series of sections illustrate this journey through the building.
REGGIO
72
The gallery lining the old brick wall ramps down to each of the courtyards making them accessible to all while making the building match the surrounding landscape.
“contours� within the building every 300 mm
73
REGGIO
2
1 REGGIO
OPEN GALLERY
“SCULPTURE GARDEN”
74
CLASSROOM
4 75
REGGIO
3
1
REGGIO
SHED
GALLERY
ATELIER
CULTIVATING
MAKING LEARNING VISIBLE
CREATING
76
TERRACE FOR BEING AMONG THE TREES 77
REGGIO
4
REGGIO
GYM
MEZANINE
FOR EXERCISE AND ASSEMBLY
FOR WATCHING
78
“STREET”
LIBRARY
TERRACE
LEADING TO THE FOREST
SHARING STORIES
LOOKING ACROSS THE WATER MEADOWS
79
REGGIO
Gardens
REGGIO
80
“Sometimes since I’ve been in the garden I’ve looked up through the trees at the sky and I have had a strange feeling of being happy as if something was pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast. Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden - in all the places.” Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
81
REGGIO
7 9
10
11
REGGIO
82
5 6
8
5 - a green room 6 - a play space 7 - a bridge among the trees 8 - a sculpture garden 9 - a quiet garden for reading in the shade 10 - a wooded mossy garden 11 - a paved play space in the forest
83
REGGIO
articulating the gardens
Aditionally to serving as circulation space, the courtyards act as informal learnin spaces with classrooms and ateliers spill out onto them. The courtyards onto which the atelier’s spill out act as a series getting darker as (1)
one walks deeper (2). The deeper one travels into the buiding the more shaded and inhabited by trees they are, becoming more and more secretive. The courtyards onto which the classrooms give out are complementary (1)- offering different experiences through the years and creating a different atmosphere in each classrooms. The courtyards are also an opportunity to make seasons and other rhythms of the weather visible. “And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.”
(2) Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
The nursery and infant classrooms open onto a green room.
REGGIO
84
Infant classrooms open onto a hard paved play space.
Junior classrooms opens out onto the trees below, giving the impression of a tree house. 85
REGGIO
A sculpture garden onto which the atelier opens.
Both Ateliers open up onto this courtyard, ocupied by an existing silver REGGIO
86
maple and hawthorn bush.
An existing yew tree makes the courtyard very shaded courtyard. The gallery terminates here and a paved floor allows the gym to spill out.
A playground inside the forest is discovered through the brick passage between the library and the gym. 87
REGGIO
S pac e s f o r E x p l o r at i o n learning discovering
reading
exercising
cult
REGGIO
88
eating
meeting
reflecting
tivating creating cooking
89
REGGIO
for learning A school within a school
The classrooms function as independent clusters - giving a feeling of safety and enclosure despite the permeability of the scheme, The pairs share a spine wall and a common vestibule. As children grow, their classrooms are deeper within the site, giving the impression of their world expanding with them, catering for the child’s growing independence. Despite their similar layout (see overleaf), classrooms inherit different characters from their relationships to the courtyards surrounding them. The use of recognisable elements gives a feeling of safety while the varying courtyards of discovery. As the children grow, the strong boundaries of the world of the classroom slowly dissolves inside the school. The classroom acts as a miniature school - enclosing similar spaces : an atelier, a group space,
a secret alcove,
courtyard.
REGGIO
90
an entrance threshold,
and a
91
REGGIO
3 to 5 years old These classrooms feel much more enclosed. All functions are included within then and they are slightly larger, organised on a single level.
5 to 7 years old A mezanine space above the reading area provides space to explore. The students now use an atelier ouside the classroom aditionally to the dedicated classroom space. They have to pass outdoors to access all functions.
REGGIO
92
a group space a courtyard an atelier a secret alcove
93
REGGIO
7- 9 years old The garden shared between the classrooms shrinks and the cluster becomes more open.
9 to 11 years old The classroom is reduced to only the core space and opens up much more. The entire school is the children’s playground.
REGGIO
94
a group space a courtyard an atelier a secret alcove
95
REGGIO
for creating
REGGIO
96
97
REGGIO
for reflecting
REGGIO
98
99
REGGIO
For stories
A childhood with
that would be no
That would be lik
out from the enc
where you can g
rarest kind of joy Astrid Lindgren
REGGIO
100
hout books –
o childhood.
ke being shut
chanted place
go and find the
y.
101
REGGIO
For stories
The library is divided into two spaces designed around some characteristic “phenomenological� spaces - the campfire and the den. It gives access to the mezannine space above the gym.
REGGIO
102
“nest” - mezzanine overlooking the gym and the library
“camp fire” - group area overlooking the trees
“den” - solitary area opening onto the shaded woods
103
REGGIO
A Threshold and Other Articulations
REGGIO
104
105
REGGIO
Materiality
I love borders. August is the border between summer and autumn; it is the most beautiful month I know. Twilight is the border between day and night, and the shore is the border between sea and land. The border is longing: when both have fallen in love but still haven’t said anything. The border is to be on the way. It is the way that is the most important thing.� Tove Jansson
REGGIO
106
school and site
school and the room
the room and the child
107
REGGIO
material palette
anodized, polished aluminium that reverts a blurred and fuzzy image of the surroundings
douglas fir timber elements - introduce a human scale REGGIO
108
brick - creates continuity with the existing wall
in situ concrete supports the brick exterior and encloses the timber interior
109
REGGIO
REGGIO
110
key moves
the boundaries are blurred where elements meet
A layer of thin brick cast in concrete envelopes the whole building tying it back to the existing brick wall and seeping into the building through skylights and window reveals, creating a warm light and blurring the building’s boundary.
Floor finishes extend from the walls - meaning external paths are usually brick tiles and internal finishes concrete or timber. Timber elements and alcoves are discovered within the in-situ concrete structure.
Integrated timber furniture gives the architeture a human scale.
the brick layer is peeled off as one enters the building, leaving the concrete exposed.
Steel frame windows and timber cupboards are both set on an 800 mm grid. Water is collected for irrigation in the courtyard spaces.
111
REGGIO
2
GALLERY
REGGIO
KITCHEN
112
DINING
CLASSROOM
113
STREET
REGGIO
1
4 2
REGGIO
114
brick envelopes
A brick envelope wraps around the entire buildving and ties to the existing prison wall. detail legend (1) window - w40 steel section , double glazing (2) floor - 200 mm insitu concrete slab, 200 mm of XPS thermal insulation, concrete slab, hardcore. (4) wall and roof construction - 200 mm insitu concrete, vapour control layer, 100 mm of XPS thermal insulation, damp proof membrane, 60 mm of concrete, 40 mm thick petersen bricks.
115
REGGIO
5
3 4
2
1 2
FFL -0.3 REGGIO
116
FFL +0.0
steel blurs
the 40 mm brick, steel section and timber take turns to cover the inner concrete leaf and reveals depending on the nature of the space. The thinness and reflectivity of steel makes it disapear and blurs the wall with the school.
opening in existing brick wall (3) 220 x 220 steel beam, 5 mm aluminium profile steel sheeting, bituminous sheeting, plywood, (5) 100 mm of XPS thermal insulation
117
REGGIO
ted
4
3 7
2
REGGIO
118
concrete ties The in-situ concrete structure supports the brick and encloses the timber. The funriture is slightly offset within the opening to allow for the unpredictability of in-situ cast concrete. This casts a
“den-like� alcove within the classroom
shadow gap between th wood and the concrete.
(6) integrated furniture - 800 mm wide timber
closets
with
removable
shelves and expressed hinges, integrated within the concrete structure.
119
REGGIO
REGGIO
120
timber engages
Furniture is probably one of the things we engage with most. By integrateing it within the structure, the architecture becomes more humane and relateable. Stairs become large peices of furniture. Timber elements enclose their paths, offering access to more enclosed place.
The image directly to the left illustartes the atelier’s pocket dorrs meeting with the concrete and the inset funiture.
121
REGGIO
REGGIO
122
a varied roofscape
All room share the same roof shape however it adapts to each of their individaul function. They also create a central space around which the room is organised - similar to the idea of a central piaza in the reggio movement.
123
REGGIO
Environmental Strategy
The strategies discussed over the following pages are summarised in the diagram below.
REGGIO
124
natural ventilation
The skylights and windows are both operable, creating stack ventilation - allowing cold air to be drawn in through the window and hot air to escape through the skylight. As most skylights are out of reach, they are mechanically operable. Because of my clustered approach, most spaces, having openings on opposite sides, allowing cross ventilation.
125
REGGIO
REGGIO
126
daylighting
The roof form allows the daylighting to adapt to the function of the space as seen in the overleaf plan. In general, the buildings are lit from the roof ridge. There, light diffusing glass diffuses daylight and deflects direct sunlight. Brick reveals create a warm glow inside the rooms. LED strip lights are integrated along the skylights reveals. They are angled at 50 degrees allowing complete internal reflection - being greater than the critical angle of glass. This also allows them to be concealed from inside the room.
127
REGGIO
heating
Acoustic strategy
REGGIO
128
acoustics
The concrete structure makes the building well acoustically insulated. Noise pollution is limited to the openings. There is however the issue of sound reflection, concrete being very reflective. The timber element acts as an acoustic absorbant.
129
REGGIO
REGGIO
130
rain water collection
Rainwater is collected in ponds at the foot of buildings, from the drainage network hidden within the roof. It reveals itself punching through as a steel tube. The ponds too consist of steel punching out from the brick paving. This water is recycled as grey water for garden irrigation. By punching out and revealing itself, the drainage system also intends to make us more aware of the rhythms of nature.
131
REGGIO
REGGIO
132
floor finishes
The aproach to floor finishes follows the general material approach the brick blends out fromthe buildng. The interior floor is an in-situ poured concrete slab within which timber slots in to create more intimate spaces. The floor finishes extend from the building onto the floor, reinforcing the impression of inhabiting the wall, blurring the boundary between in and out. The building is heated through underfloor heating. The energy required is sourced in a ground source heat pump located below the village green.
133
REGGIO
REGGIO
134
Epilogue
The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things. Hans Christian Andersen
135
REGGIO
Regulatory Compliance cost
unit rate = £ 3500 per square metre. ground floor area = 2636 square meters. Construction estimate : 3500 x GFA = 3500 x 2636 = £ 9,226,000 landscaping costs - 7.5% of the above : £ 691,950 add further 5% for site compexity if required : £ 461,300 sub-total A - £ 10,379,250 contractor preliminaries + profit : 12 % of sub total A : £ 1,245,510 sub- total B - £ 11,624,769 design + constructuon contingencies : 10 % of B : £ 1,162,476 sub total C - net construction estimate - excluding VAT : £ 12,787,245 Consulants and statutory fees 15% of total C - £ 11,624,769 Total project cost estimate (excl. VAT) Sub total C + consultant + statutory fees : £ 14,705,331
REGGIO
136
construction design management
management overview A CDM co-ordinator is appointed early on to ensure all regulatory standards are met. Regular meetings should be undertaken to ensure the CDM is effective. Site management A site compound including WCs, food preperation, changing and meeting areas an be set up in the space within the prison wall to be used for landscaping. Hoarding should be installed to guarantee security. - The site office should be close to the main entrance ensuring security and a clear poimt of control. The existing brick wall will help ensure maximum site security . Worker welfare All employees on site should be trained in health and safety and wear personal protective equipment (PPE). The buildings are single story reducing the risk of falling and achieve structural integrity quicker. Scaffolding will be installed to reduce the risk of falling building use External paving surfaces treated with a non slip coating to reduce the risk of falls. 1100mm barriers are provided in all necessary places - mezanines, balconies, terraces ...
137
REGGIO
fire strategy Building Bulletin 100: design for fire safety in schools. This document is the normal means of compliance with building regulations for fire safety design of new school buildings including B1 to B5 of the building regulations. B1
means of warning An automatic detection system would be installed throughout the building. An alarm system provides warning in case of fire, serving as a school bell at other times. means of escape The courtyards are places of safety outisde the building in case of fire. As most rooms give off them there are enough routes allowing people to escape to safety. The ramped gallery gives easy access to and from any space in the building. B2 internal fire spread - linings All internal and external finishes, and fixtures are fire retardent. Hand held instinguishers are provided throughout the building. A system of sprinklers is usedthroughout the building. B3 internal fire spread structure Being concrete, the primary structure is fire resistent. Additionally, a layer of fire retarder will be applied. B4 External Fire Spread As the building is isngle storey and does not share boundaries with any other property there are no external wall surface classification requirements. B5 Access and Facilities for Fire Service The building is easily accessible by fire services. The openings lining the old prison wall allow easy level access throughout the school.
REGGIO
138
part m - access strategy .Seeing as practically the entire building is single storey, there is no nececity for lifts. With the exception of the room below the library, and a few overlooking spaces, spaces are accessible by all.Despite the building slowly stepping down, a slightly sloped gallery lines the building. The gradient is of 1:20 or greater, avoiding the necessity of handrails and creating a less prescribed space.
139
REGGIO
design development the different stages
I started this project massing and planning at 1-500. I enjoyed this stage a lot. Feeling quite overwhelmed, I was glad to spend time familiarizing myself with all the spaces needed. This scale also really brought out the idea of the school as a “mini city�. Following this I tried to go on to designing at 1 - 200. I found this very challenging and I think I momentarily lost a bit of my original concept (see images above). With such a long building and an obvious entrance, I quickly fell into the trap of trying to design from A Z - resulting in a building much more resolved at one end than the other. At this stage, I was also made aware of the akward shape of internal spaces resulting from the radial grid I had imposed previously. To solve these difficulties, I was suggested to leave the plan aside, and delve into developing the classroom at 1:50. This helped generate a set of conditions which could be applied to the entire building. It allowed my to explore materiality, the general form, and other overarching principles at a much more manageable scale, informing the tectonic study that followed. At this stage I was able to go back to my plan and it was a matter of tying it all back together - the classroom study, the tectonic section, and the masterplan were all crucial in helping me lay things out at 1-200.
REGGIO
140
141
REGGIO
design process the working method
I use a combination of tools to both communicate and develop my ideas including model making, sketching, collaging views, and drawing details. I find that overusing CAD, I get caried away trying to make everything work. Before I realise it, I am frustrated and have lost track of what I thougt was special about my project. I prefer using it alongside other programs such as illustrator - which make me realise that a drawing is just that - a drawing, where I choose what it is important to show - not the computer. This is how way I produced my tectonic study, my plans, and sections. Rendering too, like CAD, too often takes the foreground, making us miss out on other - sometimes more apropriate ways of explaining our building. I like the idea of a render being like an artwork - leaving room for interpretation. In all three of my professional experiences I was working in offices that used model making as a principle design tool and not just a way of communicating with clients. It seems to me that as soon as the computer becomes too involved in the process, the act of designing is taken out of our hands.
REGGIO
142
143
REGGIO
REGGIO
144
reflection
After every project, I tell myself I have never worked as hard before - this time is no exception. I notice, looking back at our Basil Spence project, how my intentions have shifted from creating architecture that is a stage for our daily lives - like a superstudio collage - to creating places that have a character - a life of their own, engaging with us, like people. I have really enjoyed designing for people I know or can relate to. Last year my student projects were a monastary and a centre for autistic children. No matter how interesting it was to immerse myself in their lives, I felt much more engaged with this project having been a child and being able to imagine my seven year-old sister as a student at my school. I found the intense bursts of work before crits and the subsequent periods of calm helped me a lot, allowing me to take some distance and reassess before reimersing myself in the project. Despite starting from very practical area studies, the building quickly became controlled by something other - I guess that is what we call “concept�. The tectonic does tie it back down, however the cost amongst other things make this project quite unrealistic.
145
REGGIO