Perhaps, everyone had a childhood dream of coming on the stage in a magnificent dress, of waltzing in the spotlights while the audience applauds in excitement…
The students of Kharkiv specialized secondary school No. 62 are lucky to be a part of what may be rightfully called a home for ever-dancing souls. To say that the school specializes in choreography would not be enough – for its students dancing is a way of living. First-graders and senior students alike take part in dance shows, the school holds annual waltz contests and each celebration will undoubtedly include a professional choreographic program.
But for these children dancing is not only fun, but also everyday work. They spend a lot of time in rehearsals and trainings. This is why, when asked about a classroom of the future, most of them draw the dancing classroom, both in their dreams and on paper.
Unfortunately, the existing rehearsal room does not meet the requirements of a dancing classroom, either by its size or by its equipment. And the school has no other rooms for this purpose.
The existing situation and the specific features of the school in our care became a basis for our design project of a dancing classroom. The ideas which formed the concept of the classroom of the future were born in the course of creative cooperation of the students and teachers of Kharkiv school No. 62 and the designer group architects.
The main idea of the classroom of the future includes the creation of:
a versatile, easily transformable, mobile space equipped with advanced hi-tech communication tools, nanotechnologies, means of video scanning and data processing for visual correction of choreographic movements;
facilities for viewing and listening to video and audio lessons and other educational information;
a game environment for easier comprehension and training;
and a comfortable, ecological space for physical exercise bringing out the aesthetic and the cultural in children of different ages.
The room in our project is a class with the area of 120 m2 on the second floor of the sports area in the junior school building. The first floor of the sports area contains the changing rooms, toilets, the wardrobe, the entrance to the swimming pool and a separate staircase leading directly to the dancing classroom. The wall in the KM axes has the door to the balcony which is also the skylight for the pool. The analysis of the existing structures revealed a possibility of expanding the classroom area by including the balcony into the existing cubature.
Since the room is directly adjacent to the pool area we cannot neglect the pool ventilation problem and the humidity which is hazardous for the children's health and which creates favorable conditions for fungus in the wall covers making the room unusable.
Since the project of our classroom reconstruction proposes the inclusion of a part of the pool area into the existing cubature, we suggest a number of preparatory measures intended to restore the pool functioning:
1. Dismantling the bricked up windows for restoring the natural air circulation.
2. Antiseptic treatment of fungus-infested areas.
3. Restoration of forced ventilation.
Therefore, without interfering into the structural layout of the building, we obtained the valuable additional 22 square meters which will be included directly into the dance-floor area. This allows creating an additional "buffer" area at the entrance.
The main composition technique allowing the implementation of the whole complex of declared ideas is forming an independent envelope within the existing space. This way we create a unique autonomous space with a life of its own, without interfering with the existing utility networks and window openings in the enclosing structures.
The design concept includes defining two principal functional zones (dance-floor and recreation and media zone) and several auxiliary zones (technical, server and entrance zones).
The ultimate program proposes the following:
Before starting the internal works, we have to reinforce the waterproofing of the existing roof, to repair the existing ventilation system and to take the above-mentioned actions for restoring the swimming pool functions.
But the short budget for the pool area repair may restrict our project to the dancing classroom modernization only, where we create an inner envelope within the existing space which is done as follows:
First, the wall adjacent to the pool atrium should be dismantled and a solid partition at the edge of the existing balcony should be installed.
This will hold fixed mirrors and choreographic bars which will be installed during finishing works.
The ceiling beams will hold a light assembly frame on which nano-screens will be mounted along the walls with windows. During daytime they may be turned to allow in diffused natural daylight. The screens are equipped with efficient organic LEDs and photovoltaic panels and may become additional source of light at night, as well as screens for displaying visual information. Since currently nanotechnology is still more a thing of the future than of the present, the implementation of this idea may encounter financial and technological difficulties. We suggest an option of replacing a nano-screen with a tight LTF in combination with a regular screen which may be turned when needed.
The same ceiling metal structure includes runners by which the mirrors may be moved with the help of caster wheels. They are automatically fixed in certain points in space providing an individual exercise area. Such areas are marked by the floor design and ceiling lights. The size of each individual area is determined by the ergonomics of dance moves. This way a 2X2-meter zoning module is formed. All mobile mirrors may be moved to the dance-floor edges creating a free space for group exercise.
Each workplace has an individual source of light. The light fitting is a cylindrical form curved from plywood veneered with teak plates. Inside the cylinder there is a tight translucent diffusing membrane. The source of light is inside and has an option of emission spectrum change which has the effect of chromotherapy during exercises.
Also each workplace is equipped with mobile video cameras which may be raised and lowered without hampering the dance. They are intended for scanning the movements and dance positions for further computer processing and error detection with displaying the correct positions and gestures followed by visual demonstration. The mirror itself has a monitor mirror which allows displaying full-size image. At the moment a monitor mirror of such size is rather expensive. So, for this feature smaller monitors may be used, for example, those which are industrially installed in bathroom mirrors. If our budget cannot afford even this, we can use projection units with the abovementioned screens. However, the concept of an "electronic instructor" seems rather important for the training process. Of course, such "electronic instructor" could not replace active communication with the choreography instructor but may become a valuable technical tool for him. The demonstration of correct movements performed by the student himself on screen before he performs them in reality would not release the instructor from his teaching responsibilities but will make the process of mastering dance techniques much easier.
The scanning cameras are located over each dancing spot and thus are able to follow and scan all students at the same time. This allows obtaining a "case history" for each student either with a breakdown into individual lessons or for a certain period. So, the instructor can work with every student individually not only during the lesson, but also after classes, when he or she may analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each student, develop recommendations and create individual training programs.
In addition to the active exercise zone our project includes a relaxation zone. Its surface consists of a geotextile base covered with natural grass comfortable for walking barefoot to relieve the statics. Also the relaxation zone is equipped for phyto- and aromatherapy and air ozonizing. If the students prefer intellectual relaxation, they are welcome to the media zone. PCs with fold-down keyboards (or, optionally, sensor screens) are mounted by the walls. Here one can find everything related to dancing (history, styles and trends), browse a medialibrary with Internet access and chat with friends via Skype. Light mobile Zanotta sack chairs add a nice final touch to comfortable relaxation.
Materials used in the project are described in sectional drawings 4-4, 5-5.
