BETTER CLASSROOM
OUR FIRST APPROCH TO UNDERSTAND A CLASSROOM WAS TO LISTEN AND WAS TO UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS.
AFTER DISCOVERING THAT LEARNING SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS SIMPLY THE TRANSMISSION OF ABSTRACT KNOWLEDGE FROM ONE INDIVIDUAL TO ANOTHER IN A CLASSROOM, BUT A SOCIAL PROCESS WHEREBY KNOWLEDGE IS CO-CONSTRUCTED.
SUCH LEARNING IS SITUATED IN A SPECIFIC CONTEXT AND EMBEDDED WITHIN A PARTICULAR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS GARDENS, WORKSHOPS, PLAYGROUNDS, SPORT FIELDS.
THEREFORE WE CONSIDERED THE ENTIRE SCHOOL AS A CLASSROOM.
IN OUR DESIGN WE TRIED TO APPROACH DIFFERENT ASPECTS,
SUCH AS PRIORITY OF NEEDS, COST ISSUES, MATERIALS AND ENVIRONMENT.
MOST EXPRESSED DESIRES WERE OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR WALLS
AND NOT EXTRAVAGANT CLASSROOM DESIGN, BUT MORE LIKE SIMPLE AND NECESSARY NEEDS, SUCH AS HYGIENE, CLEAN TOILETS , DOORS ON THE WALLS, WATER, PLANTS, OUTSIDE GATHERING AREAS, PLAYGROUNDS, PLACES FOR SPORT ACTIVITIES, QUIET SPACES TO STUDY, VIRTUAL LIBRARY, INFORMATIC CLASSROOMS AND STRICTER TEACHERS.
WE DIFFERENCIATED BETWEEN TWO AREAS, INDOOR FOCUS AND OUTDOOR LIBERTY.
REGARDING THE INDOOR FOCUS, CLASSROOM DESIGN, WE DECIDED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR FIRST NEED, THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY AND BUILD IT AS A FUTURE REFERENCE WITH FLEXIBLE SPACES, MODULARITY, SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND NECESSARY EQUIPMENT THAT ENCOURAGES PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, PROMOTES A STRUCTURED, CHILD-CENTERED CURRICULUM AND TEACHING LEARNING METHODS APPROPRIATE TO THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL, ABILITIES AND LEARNING STYLE.
IN AREAS WHERE THE NEW SYSTEM IS NOT AFFORDABLE WE TRIED TO IMPLEMENT NEW FURNITURE FROM RECYCLED LOCAL MATERIALS, SUCH AS OLD DOORS, OLD FURNITURE, STEEL, IN A WAY THAT IS FLEXIBLE AND RESPONDS TO DIVERSITY AS WELL.
THEIR DRAWINGS SHOWN IN THE PRESENTATION DEMONSTRATE THEIR CREATIVITY THAT ASKS FOR ATTENTION.
OUR RESPONSE TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION, CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IS TO ORGANIZE WORKSHOPS TO BUILD FURNITURE, TO CONVEY CREATIVE CONTEST, SUCH AS DRAWINGS, WRITING POEMS THAT COULD BE REPRESENTED ON THE INTERIOR WALLS AND GALLERIES, TO INTERACT AND IMPLEMENT LOCAL ARTWORK, TO LET THEM PLANT THEIR OWN PLANTS AND MAKE THEM FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, TO CREATE THEIR OWN PLAYGROUND WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS AND EARTH AND SHOW CONSCIOUSNESS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT.
CREATING OUTDOOR AREAS, IS AS IMPORTANT AS CREATING INDOOR AREAS TO FREE THEIR ENERGY AND ENTHUSIAMS WITH VARIETY, LOGICAL AND INTELLECTUAL GAMES, SUCH AS SPORT FIELDS, PLAY GROUNDS, RELAYS, CHESS TABLES.
WE ALSO STRONGLY CONSIDERED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, SUCH AS REDUCING HEAT ISLANDS, CONTROLLING AND MANAGING WATER RUNOFFS, MINIMAL ENERGY PERFORMANCE, IMPLEMENTING RENEWABLE ENERGY, INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, NATURAL VENTILATION, REUSE OF RAPIDLY AND ORGANICALLY RENEWABLE MATERIALS, OF STRUCTURE, SHELL AND INTERIOR PARTITIONS AND AVOIDING NOXIOUS MATERIALS.
OUR ANNOTATION TO THE PROJECT:
“Nadie te quita lo bailado”, WHICH LITERALLY MEANS THAT NOBODY CAN TAKE AWAY WHAT YOU HAVE DANCED, IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED, ACHIEVED AND GAINED IN LIFE, YOUR MEMORIES AND FEELINGS ARE YOURS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE WITH THAT PHILOSOPHY TO THOSE CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AND PROGRESS, TO MAKE THEM EXPERIENCE ACTIVITY, RESPONSIBILITY, CREATIVITY AND A PSYCHO-SOCIAL WELL-BEING.
THANK YOU.
