Hayden A+UD: KinderWorks

KinderWorks 1: Example Project Design Layout 2: Selected Facility Standards 3: Example Project: Montgomery Coordination with the Local Client The local client is the institution or company in partnership with KinderWorks/Mini-Skool to build a preschool facility. This page is intended to provide an overview to local clients of the architectural process with the enumerated steps above illustrating the graphic components of the process. Mouse over the images above to see each one in detail at the right. A KinderWorks facility is a cooperative effort by the KinderWorks "facility architect" and the local client's "project architect". The KinderWorks facility architect has the task to implement the teaching environment described at right. No more control of the project than required to accomplish that goal is desired, but that goal is demanding and thus the facility architect will provide complete schematic design for the interiors, as well as providing details for all interior elements other than basic construction. Even interior lighting design and finish selections will be provided. These will be given to the local project architect in an editable CAD format for use in developing the construction drawings. Since, the project architect office will be providing the record drawing set and incorporating the provided drawings, they have full review of any provided layout and details with complete liberty to change any provided detail if it does not impact the function or appearance (such as changing the underlying construction). The project architect will also have control of site design, the shell building, mechanical system design, and plumbing/electrical distribution design. The facility architect’s control of the interiors is a common arrangement between base building architect and interior architect. Site and building design must be coordinated with the program needs of KinderWorks. The local project architect would assume all permitting, bidding, negotiation, and construction administration services as normally provided.
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		KinderWorks Facility Concepts Presentation
		KinderWorks Approach KinderWorks integrates various philosophies: Reggio Emilio, the Montessori method, the developmental psychology of Piaget, Katz, Bruner and Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences. The KinderWorks approach to teaching includes the following: assessment-based thematic curriculum, alternation of learning modalities (structured / child-initiated & left brain / right brain), team teaching, and rotation through differentiated specialized classrooms. The movement from one curriculum area to another contributes to an overall balance since structured academic work, which focuses the children in left-brain activity, is followed by a child-initiated independent period, with activities targeting the right brain. Children move through the school in the company of their Group Teacher and classmates, with the benefits of a team of teachers. The four principle classroom areas are: Language Arts, Creative Expression, Science and Math, and Gym and Music. Each area is separated by teaching styles, time frames, space design, special features and materials. Within a classroom there are a subset of differentiated areas based on learning modalities used for that learning environment, which includes special elements, such as play house and complimentary finishes and lighting. Plan Concept The room environment is sometimes referred to as the "third teacher" because of the beneficial impact an appropriate design can have on teaching (the first "teachers" are peers and teachers, and the second is appropriate developmental materials.). To give the learning environment clear order, the plan concept arrays the classrooms around a central atrium core. The central Atrium is similar to Reggio Emilio designs in Italy. It functions as the heart of the facility, a place for community and classroom observation, and a gallery of the children's work. The wisdom of the center court became clear in looking at facilities with corridor layouts. In comparative analysis it was discovered that less square footage was used to create an open atrium than in the creation of long corridors - using less space in a smarter way. The arrangement of the classrooms around the atrium requires a specific adjacency to facilitate the class rotation between the specialized classroom environments (curriculum areas). Space & Form Making Form and color are used to create varying room environments which provide variety for the children and reinforces the teaching in the specialized areas. The proposed design makes generous use of sheetrock construction used in a sculptural and purposely abstract fashion: The organic curvilinear hallway to the exterior playground, the back of which provides a soothing curving surface to nestle the crib area of the nursery; dynamic forms in Creative Arts and Science classrooms; attention getting zigzag display walls; and geometric wall-top shapes in toddler rooms. In addition the atrium enclosure wall is a double studded wall to create an arcade of convincing dimension to give a structured cadence to its length which lends importance and prominence to the central space. Special Elements Room specific elements reinforce and facilitate teaching themes. Creative Expression spaces have a castle and house feature which is used for child initiated imaginary play and role playing. The Language Arts area has a club house and reading nook. The former for structured teacher-dominated activities, the latter for informal child-initiated activities. In Math and Science the Forest Ring provides a naturalist surrounding for display and teacher-dominated presentations of natural sciences. The toddler space uses another natural form in teaching, the honeycomb, configured as a modifiable maze. These elements are literal in form but purposely minimal in detail, which allows the staff to make, for example, the play house a pyramid, or the castle a huge tree trunk by simple decoration. Impact on Site & Shell Building Design The building size is dependent on the KinderWorks area standards for the number of children to be served. The building shape must accommodate the central atrium concept of KinderWorks. This requires the facility architect to assist in the programing of the building. The review extends to site design since unsafe conditions are often created by inappropriate drop off lanes and wrong relationships of parking to building. Thus neither the site or building design should commence until that coordination has occurred, which takes the form of site and building design guidelines followed with the facility architect’s review of site and building schematic design. The key to not complicating the project architect’s services is in providing clear design guidelines at the beginning, during programing.