What are you looking at the schools for? Case study? Assuming you are designing a school it would help to know what type, size, etc.
Often the Star-Architect designed schools don't perform well. They want to make a design statement and usually try to reinvent things based on theory or some recent study. Better performing are the school firms that crank out nothing but schools and know their building type inside and out. A high school is an amazingly complex building that you only get good at by doing time and time again.
When I was doing schools often we'd be hired on as consultants to a local architect since the school boards found a need to keep some business local. Without fail the unexperience local architect would have major flaws in their design. The form was there but the function failed.
Something to keep in mind while you scour the publications for the "fancy" schools. Only problem is most firms pounding out mass produced schools are usually more bland on the aesthetics side. Then again, most schools don't have generous budgets for what they need.
aqua is right. I'm actually clicked in here to say that you should NOT use Morphosis' Science Center School as a case study. But why, you ask? Because all the green stuff is on the roofs, instead of where the children can actually play on it. The kids play on concrete and recycled tire material and gaze longingly at the fun fuzzy green stuff on their roofs. The whole place is grey, which is pretty damn depressing (and as grey is known to be a color of anxiety, probably doesn't help the kids perform well on tests). The lighting is terrible- most classrooms have clerestory windows that are so high up that the deep cabinetry below them blocks any and all daylight from actually being seen from the children's level. Then one classroom at the end has a gigantic curtainwall- which they tape their papers all over, because the window faces east and the morning light blinds them. Also, there were no tackboards installed in the school, which is another reason for the papers taped to the window..... All in all, while there are some good planning concepts (the ramping, for instance, and the interaction with the Armory building, the shared science labs), Science Center school is really lacking in some basic functional areas.
might want to check out Munkegaards School by Arne Jacobsen in copenhagen, interesting even down to the level of furniture....also hertzberger did an interesting montesorri school in the netherlands... for more current stuff, kennedy violich have done some interesting elementary schools...maybe check out RCR, they did a guarderia in catalonia recently.
publishes photographs of new schools. Many are public schools, some are private schools. (In general, there tends to be a different set of architects for public schools and private schools.)
You can get a free subscription to School Planning & Management on their website.
as my office did lots of schools we toured japan looking at new and interesting school buildings every year (was part of our education in the office)...they spend a lot of cash in japan on education so lots to see actually...anyway coelecanth is one of the better firms doing schools here. most famous example is the utase elementary school. i have visited it twice. fairly nice looking and def functions well. people have moved to the area just so their kids can go there (supposedly)...and now an extension (well another new school really) was built as area is so popular.
also, recently went to see fuji montesori school here in tokyo, by tezuka architects. very very nice. impressive spatial interconnections, with trees inside classrooms etc.
School's Out_ Best school designs
Hi,
I am looking at current school's design/architecture for children.
Any good project to look at?
Morphosis,
one by a chilean guy...
I think there is some interesting stuff in Scandinavia...don't know by who....any clue?
Cheers
What are you looking at the schools for? Case study? Assuming you are designing a school it would help to know what type, size, etc.
Often the Star-Architect designed schools don't perform well. They want to make a design statement and usually try to reinvent things based on theory or some recent study. Better performing are the school firms that crank out nothing but schools and know their building type inside and out. A high school is an amazingly complex building that you only get good at by doing time and time again.
When I was doing schools often we'd be hired on as consultants to a local architect since the school boards found a need to keep some business local. Without fail the unexperience local architect would have major flaws in their design. The form was there but the function failed.
Something to keep in mind while you scour the publications for the "fancy" schools. Only problem is most firms pounding out mass produced schools are usually more bland on the aesthetics side. Then again, most schools don't have generous budgets for what they need.
aqua is right. I'm actually clicked in here to say that you should NOT use Morphosis' Science Center School as a case study. But why, you ask? Because all the green stuff is on the roofs, instead of where the children can actually play on it. The kids play on concrete and recycled tire material and gaze longingly at the fun fuzzy green stuff on their roofs. The whole place is grey, which is pretty damn depressing (and as grey is known to be a color of anxiety, probably doesn't help the kids perform well on tests). The lighting is terrible- most classrooms have clerestory windows that are so high up that the deep cabinetry below them blocks any and all daylight from actually being seen from the children's level. Then one classroom at the end has a gigantic curtainwall- which they tape their papers all over, because the window faces east and the morning light blinds them. Also, there were no tackboards installed in the school, which is another reason for the papers taped to the window..... All in all, while there are some good planning concepts (the ramping, for instance, and the interaction with the Armory building, the shared science labs), Science Center school is really lacking in some basic functional areas.
might want to check out Munkegaards School by Arne Jacobsen in copenhagen, interesting even down to the level of furniture....also hertzberger did an interesting montesorri school in the netherlands... for more current stuff, kennedy violich have done some interesting elementary schools...maybe check out RCR, they did a guarderia in catalonia recently.
definitely hertzberger's montessoris
clark + menefee - lucy daniels foundation
buenzli + courvoisier - school in niederhasli - (outstanding)
ted jones - charlottesville waldorf school
valerio olgiati - school in paspels
miller + maranta - voltaschulhaus (basel)
additionally, there have been several in ticino. livio vacchini, aurelio galfetti, botta and snozzi would be the guys to look up.
and the aiany had an exhibition
and the chilean school - altamira school - mathias klotz
spf:a has done some schools here in LA
as has http://www.dalygenik.com/
go old school: giuseppe terragni's asilo sant'elia
oops, sorry missed the 'current' on your original post
Crow Island School by Perkins & Will
not "current" but a great precedent...
wow!
luv you guyz!
Thanks I will check this out
and feed that post on some of my researchs...
cheers!
publishes photographs of new schools. Many are public schools, some are private schools. (In general, there tends to be a different set of architects for public schools and private schools.)
You can get a free subscription to School Planning & Management on their website.
Frame, #45: Building blocks for babies
RCR Arquitectes - School in Manlleu (Catalonia)
Superb!
An interactive map of the winners of the Design Share Education Building Awards...
http://www.designshare.com/index.php/maps/awards-projects-firms
try coelecanth.
as my office did lots of schools we toured japan looking at new and interesting school buildings every year (was part of our education in the office)...they spend a lot of cash in japan on education so lots to see actually...anyway coelecanth is one of the better firms doing schools here. most famous example is the utase elementary school. i have visited it twice. fairly nice looking and def functions well. people have moved to the area just so their kids can go there (supposedly)...and now an extension (well another new school really) was built as area is so popular.
also, recently went to see fuji montesori school here in tokyo, by tezuka architects. very very nice. impressive spatial interconnections, with trees inside classrooms etc.
Try to find this publication, contains some interesting recent examples from the Netherlands.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.