International project:
Ekya Early Years
Ekya Early Years: Kanakapura Road in India reconceives an abandoned watch
factory and overgrown two acre site into a lush, colourful and immersive
environment for learning.
D
esigned as an exclusive preschool for both Montessori and Kindergarten
environments, the new design capitalizes on the beauty of an old industrial
building, repurposing the existing shell as a framework for spacious, naturally
ventilated and sunlight filled classrooms.
The primary goal of this project was to provide a constant interaction
between students and nature; a design requirement of the Montessori
brief and an ever rarer experience within the rapidly growing city. To
achieve this, the boundaries are blurred between inside and outside as all
learning environments (classrooms) are accessed from a covered walkway
circumnavigating a densely planted “Jungle” courtyard. Four controlled access points open
to the exterior landscape conceived in a “pinwheel” formation from the central courtyard.
Recreational/Learning landscape features including an outdoor art room, amphitheater,
playground, sandpit, labyrinth, and individual classroom gardens radiate around the existing
building footprint allowing for easy access, supervision and maintenance.
The strategic and consistent use of color establishes a stimulating and playful identity for
the campus, acting as a visual connective tissue throughout the children’s daily experience.
A soft gradient of coloured louvers highlight the covered office and student entrances. This
gradient then changes frequency around the central courtyard walkway providing a single
colour-code for each room. The same identifying colours continue inside each classroom to
highlight special library reading niches and primary teaching surfaces.
Click to enlarge
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