Growing Curiosity.

Redefining the Educational Environment

Growing Curiosity.
Designers: Javier Martin de la Fuente & Jan-Niklas Klein
Status: Proposal
Location: Sydney, AU

Exterior View

Interior View

 

Rather than trying to improve the broken education system, our approach is to fundamentally question the structure of education itself. We set three principles as our core concept: Curiosity, Creativity and Interhuman Connection.
Further on we define five spheres of competences as the holistic base of our school. Those five competences deeply rely on their interdependence, which is the essence of our spatial proposal. This educational approach suggests a strong support for self evolvement by giving the students the opportunity to freely draw their own path. This journey is encouraged through an individual goal based system – where the student sets a series of objectives to be reached during the year. Thus breaking the boundaries to a more holistic approach on education.

 

Circulation Diagram

AXON

Section

 

Humanities: Everything related to human society and history.
Unique spatial requirements: Circular halls, collective classrooms, debate rooms

Expression: Articulate yourself through arts and language.
Unique spatial requirements: Workshop, theatres, language rooms, music rooms,
photo studio, gallery.

Health: Including physical activities, cooking and meditation.
Unique spatial requirements: Gymnasium, collaborative kitchens, meditation &
yoga hall, sleeping rooms

Inner Questions: How to deal with existence and the self.
Unique spatial requirements: Thinking rooms, interreligious space, debate rooms

Exploring: Discovering the empirical world through logic.

Unique spatial requirements: Laboratories, experiment rooms, robo lab, green
house, computer studios

 

Site Model 1

Site Model 2

 

The interdependent relations between these five competences require a clear connection and equally balanced spatial organisation while keeping the much needed unique spaces. The void between those spaces is to be filled by a connecting and enriching vivid heart – inviting to collaboration and spatial acquiescence.

 

Model 3

Model 2

Model 1

The unique spatial and historical situation of the existing buildings opens the opportunity to combine the diversity of architectural styles within our school. In this spatial variety we found a major support to
our approach. By carefully discussing the historic conditions, we decided to extend this variety in our proposal. The removal of the pitched roofs allowed the creation of an elevated playground at the rooftop
level, giving the possibility of a strong public integration in the ground level. The interior of the heritage building is transformed into workshop spaces creating a connection with the community.
The existing brutalist structure provides the base for a free configuration of open studio spaces.

Lower Ground Plan  Upper Ground Plan  Roof Level Plan 1

Key to our concept is the circulation strategy. The park level is open to the public, while the main entrances are located under the tower and on the roof of the underground gym. Inside the tower is an atrium providing open circulation and collaboration space. Four elements are making the circulation and therefore the spatial discovery more enjoyable. Two fast-travel-cores in the corners of the tower contain elevators and direct firestairs for long distances. Multipurpose stairs in the atrium add up to the collaborational character. A slide system is a fun way of going down quickly, while a backpack lift makes going upstairs easier.

Typ Plan1  Typ Plan2  Typ Plan3

Following our core intention of curiosity and the understanding of the facade as a binding skin for the school revealing some moments but protecting others, the facade is acting as a veil in between the
school and the outer world. A vertical wooden facade in the lower levels provides – depending on the gap between the wooden laths – either visual cover or a translucent but sun-screening envelope. To reflect the inner playfulness of the tower onto the outside facade and to facilitate a modular-like arrangement of the inner tower, a second kind of facade is used in the upper levels. Freely configurable and movable translucent fiberglass panels embody the veil, yet divulging deliberate openings to the inner program.

Details  Facade Type 1  Facade type 2

 

You may also like

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. By agreeing you accept the use of cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.

Privacy Settings saved!
Privacy Settings

When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Control your personal Cookie Services here.

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
woocommerce_cart_hash session Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
woocommerce_items_in_cart session Helps WooCommerce determine when cart contents/data changes.
wp_woocommerce_session_ 2 days Contains a unique code for each customer so that it knows where to find the cart data in the database for each customer.
  • woocommerce_cart_hash
  • woocommerce_items_in_cart
  • wp_woocommerce_session_

Decline all Services
Accept all Services