Nest within a three-storey space in Sydney’s Alexandria, NUBO – just as its Spanish name meaning cloud suggests – is hard to pin down with its unlimited potential as a creative hub for learning and exploration. Carefully designed and flexibly suited for children from 2 to 8, it offers a stimulating and inclusive learning environment to encourage boundless imagination.
In addition to playful use of graphics completed with a warm pastel tone, its well-lit boundary-free open space emphasises the concept of ‘pure play’ to make and create – and becomes inclusive for children in their various stages of learning to safely and curiously explore the entire space. The overall design takes a minimalist approach to remove unnecessary furniture and equipment - with just enough to invent their own games. Traditionally categorised into ‘active’ and ‘passive’ play, with the former includes slides and nets to climb and hide, the latter is housed in equally immersive environment for classes from cake-making to painting. Warm-white finish, natural lighting as well as tables and chairs in wooden finish tall contribute to a homey learning environment – and all with children’s proportions and safety taken into account.
Equally important is to invite parents to spend quality time with their children – and with plenty of interactions, too. Another key element designer has especially considered is how adults are also invited to comfortably accompany their kids - and just to relax and even learn with child-like curiosity. ‘Pure play’, after all, means something for everyone in this well-designed space to enjoy.
Material Used :
1. Walls and ceilings - Formica laminate clad over MDF backing.
2. Windows and doors - Alsupply aluminium with laminated and toughened glass from Gecko Glass Solutions. Formica laminate clad over MDF solid doors. Lockwood mortice locks. Madinoz door handles. Kaba door closers.
3. Flooring - Surestep Original safety vinyl floorcoverings from Forbo. Rubber floor from Synthetic Grass & Rubber Surfaces.
4. Lighting - Memory Collection lights from Brokis. Downlights and LED strip lighting by Omni Electrical and Lighting.
5. Furniture - Customized furniture by Na Creator Design.
6. Bathroom - Custom-built children’s basin. Caroma Junior toilet suites. Geberit concealed cisterns. Wolfen hob sensor tap.
7. Other - Play tower by Corocord. Blue blocks sets by Imagination Playground.
