TOP 10 educational facilities of 2015

TOP 10 temporary educational facilities of 2015

educational architecture is a powerful tool for stimulating creativity, as well enhancing concentration, motivation and understanding. whether it is at kindergarten, high school or university, the environment in which we study directly influences how knowledge is absorbed. 2015 saw a wide range of educational facilities promoting sensitivity towards landscape, flexibility, and the future. with this in mind, design can be utilized not only for gaining skills, but also for bringing communities together. take a look at our TOP 10 educational facilities, realized this year, which caught our attention.

ilima school by MASS design group

the structure boasts a large suspended roof that provides extra shade from sun
image © MASS design group / african wildlife foundation

MASS design group completed its first conservation school in the rural congolese jungle village of ilima in collaboration with african wildlife foundation. using exclusively local materials, construction was carried out by community members, who were trained and employed throughout the duration of the process. this transfer of knowledge will allow community members to maintain their school building, ensuring that the building does not fall into disrepair, and leave villagers with practical and employable skills.

burntwood school by allford hall monaghan morris

the english school features faceted precast panels that correspond to a 7.5 meter structural grid
image © timothy soar

having won this year’s prestigious RIBA stirling prize, the transformation of ‘burntwood school’ by allford hall monaghan morris in south-west london saw the introduction of six new structures within an existing educational campus. teaching spaces are arranged along a central corridor with voids and double-height volumes positioned at each end to increase natural daylight and make visual connections with the exterior. the distinctive exterior with faceted precast concrete panels, correspond to a 7.5 meter structural grid, which is then playfully arranged to create an intriguing series of internal spaces.

OB kindergarten by HIBINOSEKKEI + youji

a rope-made climbing tunnel allows children to climb up onto the roof
image © studio bauhaus, ryuji inoue

this year, HIBINOSEKKEI + youji no shiro designed various kindergartens in japan which go beyond the normal design of learning spaces for young children. highlighting that playing and learning should go hand in hand, a variety of niches has been integrated into the space. the building itself has been raised up with a cafeteria composing of an internal and external dining terrace. meanwhile, a loft accessed by a rope-made tunnel allow the children to climb and be greeted with a rooftop terrace facing the ocean.

royal institute of technology (KTH) by tham & videgård

the six-storey scheme includes a sunken garden and roof terrace
image © tham & videgård arkitekter

based on a layout that encourages movement across the campus, the scheme by studio tham & videgård seeks to accommodate and encourage circulation both in and around the building. the structure is clad with a corten steel exterior that relates to the adjacent early twentieth century brick surroundings, while the interior is designed to be robust and flexible. curving walls create a free flow of contiguous space that enhances a sense of openness rather than enclosure. ‘views and paths are extended through the structure with spatial conditions more akin to a landscape than a traditional institutional building,’ explain the architects.

marseille’s school of architecture by PAN

the building sits on a north-facing slope overlooking picturesque surroundings
images © luc boegly

the extension by PAN architecture is seen as a continuation of the architectural landscape, the design sees three ground level workshops with a simple autonomous building united. stone pathways connect the scheme, meandering between the site’s existing trees and the terrain of natural rocks. the façade facing the primary ENSAM building is clad with vertical metallic strips, while the opposing elevation presents corrugated iron walls.

mama smile by emmanuelle moureaux

the playground illustrates the designer’s recognized use of color
image © daisuke shima / nacasa & partners

emmanuelle moureaux uses color within the interior of mama smile in hopes to help children boost their concentration, enhance imagination and promote better communication- where in japan, this particular method in japan is called ‘iro-iku’. composed of several areas with their uniquely allocated functions, there is plenty of room for the children to run around, a special crawling area for younger adolescents and an adjacent cafe with floor cushions for adults to keep a careful watch. the space features the continuous use of an archetypal house shape- something that children easily relate to. painted in shades of pastel yellow, pink, lime green, orange and blues, each individual play house divides the space and simultaneously overlaps views- stimulating curiosity and encouraging discovery.

bergeron centre for engineering excellence at york university by ZAS

a canopy of translucent petals is supported by slender columns
image © doublespace photography

the bergeron centre by ZAS architects contains 15,700 square meters of floor space on five levels rising from the campus to create a ‘landscape of learning’. challenging the norm of educational architecture, the organization of the campus has been inverted. with no lecture halls; the boundaries between students and faculty have been seamlessly integrated to promote flexible learning. presenting itself as a hub for entrepreneurship, collaboration, and creativity, the institution has an ambitious mandate for gender balance – the first engineering school of its kind in canada.

slovakian kindergarten by architekti sk

in a quaint winery village of limbach, a kindergarten constructed amidst a flourishing vineyard was designed by architekti.si. with a total area of 935 sqm, the constricted, rectangular plot features four interconnecting archetypal volumes with pitched roofs and interrupted with different sized, playfully arranged windows. the south-east facing façades overlook the vineyard, meanwhile each pavilion is arranged offset from one another and clad in varying materials.

louis michel and louis aragon high school by archi5

Rhe existing campuses have been extended and a new cafeteria, student housing and sports hall have been added
image © sergio grazia

archi5 united two secondary schools together in a project which sees the re-establishment of the connection between two separate campuses. post-construction, the architects have strategically put in place a clearer design; enabling the connecting routes from both campuses to be more accessible and safer. furthermore, long ramped walkways acts as a link that joins the two schools together- forming a path between the playgrounds of louise michel school and louis aragon thus, unifying the two institutions.

mopi primary school by mareines + patalano arquitetura

at night, the exterior becomes semitransparent, and the silhouettes of people inside become visible
image © leonardo finotti

in a leafy neighborhood of rio de janiero, brazil, mareines + patalano arquitetura‘s design of the high school features a façade derived from an abstraction of a tree. half of the building overlooks a mountainous national forest, meanwhile the other is a busy avenue connecting the city’s west to north zones. the U-shaped plan was conceived as four separated volumes which is interconnected by outdoor balconies to encourage passive cooling. the classrooms are clad with translucent channel glass which invite natural light in without distracting the pupils.