In partnership with VS Furniture, Los Angeles-based Studio Jantzen have released images and concept material of their reconceptualization of the mobile classroom.
"A Kit of Parts" addresses what Studio Jantzen identifies as the four main shortcomings of mobile classrooms currently on the market: flexibility, sustainability, cost effectiveness, and creative construction. Read more about the project and view selected images after the break.
Disheartened by the temporary classrooms he saw at the Southern Californian schools of his three children, principal of Studio Jantzen Christof Jantzen was inspired to investigate the prefabricated classroom concept. The problems of existing mobile classrooms, Studio Jantzen notes, are manifold, including issues of isolation, poor performance and environmental stewardship, and the creation of an unhealthy learning environment.
Unlike conventional mobile classrooms, the "Kit of Parts" is fabricated from renewable materials, and allows for variations in and control of light, ventilation, and acoustics. The concept seeks to foster a "broader range of exchange and connectivity" between students and teachers, and abandons the "one-wall" and "closed container" classroom typologies.
Operable glazing along the classrooms' exterior walls allows external views and improves air quality while also providing ample natural light. The classrooms are designed to allow a greater interaction with the context and environment in which they are sited, a characteristic lacking in conventional mobile solutions.
The work of Studio Jantzen has long been concerned with compact and modular buildings, ranging from container homes to self-sustaining prefabricated housing. Commitment to craftsmanship and attention to detail pervades their portfolio, and both are present in "Kit of Parts". Spacious classroom interiors feature fully integrated shelving and cabinetry, and the kit is provided with a furniture package.
Studio Jantzen hopes that the mobile classroom will "improve and expand upon the current concepts of teaching and learning through high quality design."
Story via FastCo.
