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Architects: IBUKU
- Area: 155 m²
- Year: 2008
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Photographs:José Tomás Franco
From the architects. This building is a childhood fantasy of what a classroom should look like. It is supported by a central bamboo basket-like column with a skylight in the center. The building has no walls and the ‘door’ is a bamboo arch that acts as a threshold between the class and the outside world.
'The thing about Green School, especially in Kindergarten, is that you don't often have all the students sitting in rows looking at the teacher. So to have a tower in the middle, and having a circular space, it really works. They have a little storage corner, they have another play corner, they use the space in different ways. This classic, simple space still inspires us' says Elora hardy, IBUKU'S Founder & Creative Director.
The general concept of the building revolves around its roof, which lowers to approx 1m - 1.5m height in its perimeter to avoid distractions during school hours. The central skylight allows this operation, by releasing the passage of light from above.
The open space under the roof is qualified through a series of play stations, in addition to different types of furniture that can be adapted to different activities. The structure is placed on a mixed surface of mud and concrete, which is easier to maintain due to its high use. The outer surfaces have been covered with sand, to allow the game safely and freely.
John Hardy invited Jörg Stamm to bring his German structural carpentry skills and his experience with traditional Columbian bamboo construction to help realize the designs. "The innovative bamboo tower used in this building was initially proposed in a book of Frei Otto about the potential of bamboo in light weight structures," says Stamm.
.jpg?1514400921 "Kindergarten Classroom at Green School / IBUKU")
