LIFELONG PLAY AND LEARNING
programing offers an intriguing synergy of functions that caters to the collective needs of Florence, that is the needs of the under-catered-to children and the needs of the ever-growing elderly population. Thus, in the seeming contradiction in programming, a new building typology emerges, allowing for unique and colorful interactions between the two populations.
INTRODUCTION critical observations on Florence the place and its immediate circumstances site conditions
PLACES FOR PLAY
THE CHILDREN // KINDERGARTENS
Florence does not typically cater towards the more energetic members of the family, with the gardens typically having a more monumental status and some gardens expressly prohibiting picnics.
Overall, Florence lacks resources for children, including having a shortage of kindergartens, as shown by the map on the right. There are few kindergartens in the city center, with most further outside the city.
That being said, Florence has many parks and gardens. However, the distinction is that the city center of Florence has far fewer and less expansive areas for play. The map to the left shows the various parks throughout Florence in green.
THE ELDERLY Italy is the European country with the largest elderly population. In 2019, 22.8% of the total population was aged 65 years and older. The share of elderly people in Italy has been growing constantly in recent years. Consequently, the share of young population experienced a decrease in the last years. As a result, the average age of Italians has risen. This means that programs catering to the elderly population are increasingly important in Florence. The map on the right details the various libraries throughout Florence. Note that libraries are much more common throughout the city center than playgrounds and kindergardens.
URBAN // RESIDENTIAL Nearby buildings are mostly three to four story apartment buildings with retail functions on the ground floor. The narrow facades face narrow streets and have a range of yellow, beige and off -white smooth exteriors. They follow the simple palazzo style of neat rows of small windows with a smattering of arched openings on the ground floor.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
materiality in the neighborhood
RED ROOFS
YELLOW-CREME FACADE
GRAY GROUND
Florence is known for its red tile roofs, made from terracotta. It has been used in Tuscan construction since before records, and represents some o the classical styles of Florence.
The townscape of fifteenth-century Florence was dominated by stone of the unplastered facades, which still shines through today. Typically, pietra forte and pietra macigno stone is used. Pietra forte is an arenaceous limestone of a fairly uniform grain and yellowish-brown in color, with occasional patches of a greyish blue. One the other hand, there are two types of pietra macigno: pietra serena and pietra bigia. While both are sandstones, pietra serena is a light sky blue in color and pietra bigia is the color of the earth, a tawny grey.
Similarly, the streets are Florence are typically characterized by a gray stone.
MOVEMENT The site can be reached by both car and on foot. Because the site sits in the city center, the site is bordered by major circulation routes (pink), with some minor ones (blue) leading into the plaza. The block is currently broken into two parts by a major circulation route. It is likely that most foot traffic will come from the north, as an existing piazza blocks site lines from the south. The Loggia del Pesce serves to filter from the main road’s through traffic on the north side of the square. Thus, the loggia creates a barrier of sorts.
THE CONCEPT community hub as a way to solidify a school campus that a wide range of people will support. Schools offer an opportunity to outreach with other community amenities to create a home for all on a single campus. Quite simply, why can’t you house a library, kindergarten, and athletic club under one roof? It can be difficult to find local after-school programs, but the synthesis of a fitness facility, library, and kindergarten creates the opportunity for more-accessible after school programs and a broader range of populations served. life-long play and learning was at the forefront of my thinking in terms of the synthesis between a kindergarten and a library. Both core populations served through these programs benefits the other through this proximity. The elderly serve as teachers and mentors for the children, while the children energize and invigorate the seniors. There are a handful of fitness centers, but only one public pool inhabits the city center of Florence. The combination of a fitness facility, library, and kindergarten caters to not only life-long learning, but to life-long play.
MASSING DIAGRAM
PROGRAM DIAGRAM
EAST ENTRY
CHILDREN’S PERFORMANCE SPACE // LIFE-LONG PLAY AND LEARNING is embodied in the children’s performance space. Both core populations benefit from this shared area. The elderly serve as teachers and mentors for the children, while the children energize and invigorate the seniors. Seniors can read to the children here and help them with their education and the children can play with, preform for, or read for the seniors. The room is flexible by design with moveable furniture that allows users of the space to customize the area for their needs.
THE LIBRARY was traditionally a very rigid place where people could go to look up information that they didn’t have access to elsewhere, but now it’s a place for tools, opportunities, and collaboration. The library is now just as likely to have a café and a maker space as it is to contain reading rooms, study carrels, and seemingly endless stacks of books. Libraries for the future are innovative, collaborative, and inspirational. In design terms, this means designing for connection and collaboration, while still fully supporting individual discovery. Different types of seating and tables should comfortably support postures appropriate to the task – whether that’s sitting up straight, perching, lounging or standing. Additionally, providing different levels and types of privacy – visual, acoustical and territorial — helps people be more productive and feel at ease. Easyto-move furniture, whiteboards, privacy screens and dividers encourage adapting spaces to fit the needs of the moment, while also ensuring future flexibility for the library as a whole.
MOVEABLE FURNITURE // MODULAR AND ON WHEELS
KINDERGARTEN // NATURAL EDUCATION education spaces for the 21st century are a lot more active and dynamic than schools have traditionally been designed. Children’s development comes through movement, meaning that the concrete schoolyards, cramped classrooms, and fixed furniture of traditional schools is hindering children’s learning. Having spaces that embrace fidgeting, climbing, running, and play is crucial for learning environments. A diversity of spaces to accommodate individual, small group, and large group areas allows children to learn through socialization and discovery. Weaving in places for place allows the classroom to become a tool for teaching, and not an inhibitor.
THE POOL // PLAY is important for children because it promotes healthy development and critical thinking skills, but it’s also really important for adults as well. Play helps relieve stress, improve brain function, boost creativity, improve relationships with others, while helping make people feel younger and more energetic.
PIAZZA USES
FLEXIBLE PIAZZA SPACE // COMMUNITY HUB the new addition to the neighborhood frames the piazza. The piazza has a large, open public space designed with a minimal intervention to allow pop-up community functions, such as the one shown above. The addition of large benches adds to the piazza by encouraging sitting, gathering, and play. The introduction of greenery creates a welcoming public space with shading. Above, the piazza is shown with seating that is shared with neighboring cafes and restaurants, as well as those merely passing by.
LARGE BENCHES DIAGRAM
FACADE DEVELOPMENT
COLORED TERRACOTTA to correspond with the color palette of the existing, creating a shared dialogue while remaining contemporary, along facades that are not pushed back
CONCRETE to create continuity between ground and building, along facades that have been pushed back and terraced
NORTH ELEVATION
EAST // SOUTH ELEVATION
SECTION B
SECTION A
EPILOGUE program creates a community hub as a way to support the collective needs of Florence. A variety of community amenities enriches the program and aides in the design for diverse users. The synthesis encourages not only life-long play, but life-long learning. A new building typology enables unique and colorful interactions between the elderly and the children of Florence.