Kitchens as we know them today have functionality as their main feature and for that their space was historically organized from an industrial logic. The development of home appliances and the precise definition of the layout guarantee a functional floor plan and the optimization of work in the kitchen. As part of this layout we find the worktops, horizontal half-height surfaces that have multiple uses and, therefore, many possible configurations.
Maria Montessori began to develop her educational method at the beginning of the 20th century. In general terms, the method is a scientific pedagogy that promotes an education that positively contributes to the development of children's brains, respecting their individuality and stimulating their autonomy, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
Although the method was created in the last century, science is currently beginning to test much of the information investigated by Maria Montessori. For this reason, it is increasingly being applied to architecture for children’s educational spaces, improving the quality of children's learning and development and providing them with better tools for their future lives.
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Children's furniture is all furniture –fixed or mobile– that is designed according to the ergonomic guidelines and anatomical dimensions of children specifically. Following this definition, we can identify two types of furniture: (1) those that facilitate a relationship between the caregiver and the child, and (2) those that allow the child to use them independently.
The big difference between these two types is that the first has dimensions that mainly adapt to the ergonomics of the adult, while the second is designed to meet the ergonomic needs of the child at each stage of their development. Since the growth of children occurs relatively quickly, it is common for the furniture of this second group to be multifunctional or even extendable.
.jpg?1602872196 "Photo: 1931, Kaunas, Lithuania. Two children working on reading/writing words at Maria Varnienė's Children's House. The child on the left is Stasys Ragaišis, who later became a medical doctor.. Image via @montistory101")
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