Primary school design

In the Chicoutimi district of Saguenay, Quebec, the consortium of Agence Spatiale, Appareil Architecture, and BGLA Architecture has delivered École de l’Étincelle, an educational establishment that breaks the boundaries of traditional schooling. The three architectural studios were winners of the École de l’Étincelle (Lab-École Saguenay) competition. (Lab-École’s educational model promotes a redesigned physical environment, the development of a physically active lifestyle, and the adoption of a healthy diet for children. The competition re-evaluates the way in which primary schools are organised and built in Quebec.) Maxime Brouillet The architecture prioritises the perspecti... More

Having a legacy of over 20 years, Harmony Montessori, in Mumbai, has continued to provide Montessori education for children from age 14 months to 12 years. This new school premise is tucked into an old industrial complex with other commercial units. The school is accessed by an approach road which provides for favorable decibel levels for a school premise. Throughout the school, the selected material is carefully chosen for the décor and are sustainable as well as support local craftsmanship. The main entrance lead one through an interesting wall feature composed with flying birds, locally crafted in cane, that symbolize freedom and exploration, Montessori’s core philosophy. Fabien Charuau The design development focused o... More

This is an introspective inquiry and response about what is school and what is education. Zhu Yumeng Zhu Yumeng Zhu Yumeng Drawing from my personal and professional encounters, I have acquired a more extensive comprehension of education and formulated my own educational approach - "captivate initially, lead subsequently, support tenacity, and cultivate collaboratively." Zhu Yumeng Zhu Yumeng Beginning of the answer In order to extend the happy and lively educational experience to the childhood of today's children, this school not only meets the corresponding teaching functional requirements in its design but also creates more engaging and exploratory spaces. Creating environments that are both lively and peaceful... More

A new 100,000-square-foot Orchard Mesa Middle School opened its doors in December 2019. BG+co. was tasked by Mesa County School District 51 to deliver an awe-inspiring and inviting educational space where students and teaching staff look forward to being at. From the unique refraction of light off the exterior metal panels to the flexible interior space allowing students to work in different styles, the school is designed to connect with nature and strike a dialogue between its students and the spaces they inhabit while providing educational opportunities throughout.   Steve Maylone Photography + MH Lighting A variety of lighting solutions were needed to address the requirements of numerous learning environments within the schoo... More

The single-story building may appear as a simple shoebox, but looks can be deceiving. Once inside, a new world unfolds. It's an environment where children experience adventures and discover learning. The design of the building is child-centered, just like the vision of CBS De Regenboog. How do you create such a rich learning environment where students' talents can blossom to the fullest? We looked through the eyes of a child and designed from the perspective of a teacher.A child's world of experienceThe interior of CBS De Regenboog perfectly aligns with a child's world of experience: concave and convex inner walls take center stage. This provides spatial continuity. Such a fluid motion makes the space captivating. It creates the necessary s... More

“… perhaps we may be allowed at least one mansion where we can turn off the electric lights and see what it is like without them.”― Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows Caption “Tabula rasa” may be the most appropriate term to describe our confrontation with the project. With only one rule, the infinite freedom urges to create boundaries. Firstly, the site as the anchor point was chosen to make settings for our ideas. To pick a location, we tried to interpret the “rule” in another way and looked at where darkness matters the most. Being familiar with the deserts of Iran and the mesmerizing view of the night sky, we narrowed our focus on areas around the ancient city of Yazd, located at t... More

The brightly coloured polished brickwork exterior of St. Albert-le-Grand School expansion is a ludic announcement of the activities that take place within its walls. The building is as much an elementary school as it is a gathering space for the Rosemont neighborhood community. This major project consists in the reorganization of the 2788 sq.m original infrastructure, built in 1956, and the construction of 2 extensions totaling 2875 sq.m. The MÉES (Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Quebec) program needed the addition of 14 classrooms, including 5 for kindergarten, 3 multi-purpose rooms that can open up to one another, becoming one large gathering space, a music laboratory, a gymnasium, and a 2 level library with a mezzani... More

In the brand new Cartesius neighborhood in Utrecht, a sustainable child center, with primary school, daycare and sports hall will be built, where students and athletes will live longer and happier. The winning design by NEXT architects from Amsterdam and Christensen & Co from Copenhagen is a compact, nature-inclusive and future-oriented building that plays an active role in the lively district. The combined program is organized in one flowing spiral movement around a green heart. School, daycare, and sports hall operate independently, but also together under one roof, as one gesture. The Cartesius neighborhood is designed according to the Blue Zone concept: a healthy lifestyle and living environment that is derived from the five areas... More