Since their inception, schools have undergone a substantial evolution. No longer simply an arrangement of desks in a classroom, many schools have become their own community supporting not just the children that attend, but also their families. The design of these spaces, in turn, has come to reflect this transformation. Now, creative and thought-provoking facilities are being crafted to inspire and motivate students and teachers alike.
City Kids in Brooklyn offers expansive views throughout the school, creating a uniquely connected gathering space at the center.
City Kids | Brooklyn, New York
When developing elementary schools, Alexandra Barker, principal of Brooklyn, New York-based BAAO Studio, approaches the design from two scales—the scale of the child and the adult instructor.
“We work to build spaces that are able to be enjoyed by children while allowing for adults to supervise when necessary,” she says.
It’s latest project, the City Kids educational center in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, is no exception to this. The central, double height space creates opens the other levels of the school while providing an ideal congregation area. Here, windows of varying size serve double duty. They both bring in borrowed light and provide visual access for children and teachers.
Bright yellow polkadots dot the walls of the Tianyou Experimental Primary School.
Tianyou Experimental Primary School | Suzhou, China
Crafted by Shanghai- and Melbourne-based BAU, Tianyou Experimental Primary School features a range of colorful spaces encourage children to play and learn together by blurring the lines between formal teaching and informal learning. This is reinforced by wider corridors used for break-out classrooms and bifolding walls that allow for group instruction.
Working alongside Chinese classical garden scholar, Craig Easton, a vast amount of outdoor space adds to the collaborative environment and promotes wellbeing. “Each and every rooftop is utilized as a useful space for students,” says firm founder James Brearly.
The I Promise Village provides a place of security and comfort for the families of students attending the I Promise School.
I Promise Village | Akron, Ohio
A redo of a former historic apartment building, the Village provides free transitional housing for students and their families who need a safe and comfortable place to stay while attending the nearby LeBron James Family Foundation’s I Promise School.
“Students can continue to go to school without disruption, and their parents are able to focus on regaining their footing and housing independence without the stress of unknown living situations,” says Ruben Navarro, chief strategy officer at AJ Capital Partners.
Brought to life by Graduate Hotels, the design channels the firm’s playful ethos with welcoming seating vignettes and cozy common areas. To tie it further to its mission, more than 100 art pieces from students are found throughout the residential units.
“The Village is a reminder of the importance of designing with the end user in mind,” says Navarro. “[Our team] reflected their needs [while] maintaining a vibrancy and uplifting energy through the materials selected.”
Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Hospitality Design.
