In Johannesburg, Hubo Studio has reimagined the school as a child-scaled, Gaudi-esque city. The Redhill Early Learning Centre (ELC) draws from the child-centred constructivist principles of the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy to create a distinctly South African space where architecture becomes an active part of learning.
Learning as osmosis
The ELC accommodates 370 children ranging in age from three to seven. This number is split between sixteen groups that are organised in home rooms in four vertical pink clay towers. Between them lies a piazza-styled space for gathering with an open kitchen, that is completed with a glass roof and edged by mosaic tiled walls.
The architects explain that the project was shaped by the idea of osmosis, "a gentle flow between inside and outside, learning and play, and the individual and the community." The design forgoes corridors for a network of spaces accessible via multiple circulation routes. There are storytelling spaces and lightrooms and rooftop gardens. "Movement therefore becomes part of the educational programme, offering opportunities for observation, interaction, independence and discovery," the architects say.
Outside, the building is surrounded by landscaped parkland and play areas designed in collaboration with play specialists to encourage movement, exploration, and learning across different developmental stages. The outdoor spaces are directly accessible from the classrooms at ground level and on the roof, where a soccer field and bike tracks provide additional opportunities for active, high-energy play.
Materials
The material palette is robust and tactile: slate floors and walls were chosen to allow for children's daily mark-making. Bamboo, steel, glass, tiles and lino balance warmth with durability. Externally, a custom laser-cut trowel was developed with the contractor to create a plaster texture inspired by the corrugated cardboard used in children’s play. Retractable Serge Ferrari acoustic awnings provide solar control and acoustic softening.
Sustainability
The project’s principal sustainable strategy was reducing an earlier 4500 square metres scheme to 2,641 square metres through shared ateliers and layered circulation. Natural light, thermal mass, classroom heat chimneys and openings beneath the Piazza roof support passive lighting and ventilation. Roof gardens, soakaways and planted play areas manage help manage water while extending learning into the landscape.
