SFORZACOSTA SCHOOL
location: Macerata, Italy
year: 2022
status: Invited competition
client: ABF Andrea Bocelli Foundation
program: Kindergarten, primary school
GFA: 600 m2 + 600 m2
budget: 2.5 MI euro
team: Lucia Zamponi, Filippo Nanni
collaborators:
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The project site is an area of 4700 square meters that currently houses the primary school “G. Natali” with 70 students and a gymnasium. The garden is crossed by a system of ramps that lead to the entrance of the primary school and of the gymnasium placed on different levels. The portion of the park that can actually be used for educational activities is located in the area identified as the site for the future kindergarten. The internal connection from the school to the gym is the result of modifications to the original layout and exposes back of house spaces to the students. The exterior existing ramp has not been realized to be fully accessible to everyone and finally the underground structure that houses the locker rooms requires interventions to guarantee the safety of the users.
The project is composed by two main elements, a central garden and the new kindergarten. The roof of the locker rooms is demolished and replaced by a sloping structure that give access to the primary school.
The new kindergarten is a school with an evocative architecture. The costruction has a modular plan and a compact volume to reduce the costs and to ensure a high energy efficiency. The barrel vaulted roof defines the learning spaces as rooms able of respecting the child individuality while creating surprising and unexpected spaces. The plan layout organizes the space to promote communication, interference and integration between activities. The layout of the classrooms, the position of the doors and openings and the flexibility of some components (curtains, doors sliding..) allow different configurations of use. The architecture is conceived to offer teachers the opportunity to experimenting and diversifying training activities, and to offer children a gradual autonomy of movement.