A versatile and open complex. Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti
07/07/2020.
[Barranquilla] Colombia
metalocus, NADIA GHELFI
metalocus, NADIA GHELFI
El Equipo Mazzanti developed the project for a kindergarten complex that houses several thematic spaces inside, in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. The spaces are distributed around a central patio, which is as permeable as possible.
The intention is to turn this building into a cozy place, suitable for childrens, so each element is dimensioned for them, in order to value the entire school space as a place for training, learning and social relations.
The trajectory and experience by these architects in the design of educational spaces has ceased to be a curricular anecdote, to become a very interesting educational strategy, worth analyzing through their numerous teaching projects.
The intention is to turn this building into a cozy place, suitable for childrens, so each element is dimensioned for them, in order to value the entire school space as a place for training, learning and social relations.
The trajectory and experience by these architects in the design of educational spaces has ceased to be a curricular anecdote, to become a very interesting educational strategy, worth analyzing through their numerous teaching projects.
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti. Photograph by Rodrigo Dávila
Site plan. Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti
First floor. Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti
Second floor. Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti
Exploded view. Baby Gym Barranquilla by El Equipo Mazzanti
The building constructed by El Equipo Mazzanti is developed around a shaded perimeter that houses the educational program and defines the external areas of relation with the surrounding neighborhood, and a courtyard inside the classrooms with various activities and vegetation for solar control.
This has led to the creation of versatile and open environments, where each module is related to the others, and both the classrooms, as well as the circulation spaces, the patios and the outdoor space, are designed to respond to the diversity and complexity of the activities.
This has led to the creation of versatile and open environments, where each module is related to the others, and both the classrooms, as well as the circulation spaces, the patios and the outdoor space, are designed to respond to the diversity and complexity of the activities.
Description of project by El Equipo Mazzanti
The project states the construction of a complex that allows the emergence of thematical spaces in its interior. It is defined by a big shadowed perimeter that embraces the educational program and defines the relationship areas with its context, as well as an interior patio with different rooms and big vegetation for sun control.
Being a kindergarten each element should answer to the kids dimensions, this way they will feel comfortable in the educational environment. This is a space in which the kids spends three quarters of their lives, the aim is to turn the building in a cozy and friendly place. The general concept is to produce an ambience of dialogue, coexistence and quality learning.
We look forward for a perimeter configuration that can define interior places for human and environmental activities. The space can have activities and places that sometimes sound contradictory to the traditional buildings, like a kitchen next to the music room, or the photography studio next to the gardening area. The building floats allowing the central area to be as clear and permeable as possible, as well as the growing of different plant species inside of it.
We highlight the capacity of the spaces to be exchangeable in time, the void as a strategy to learn about the space. This approach brings the creation of pedagogical ambiences instead of only buildings. The architecture we produce is the result of the study of different pedagogical approaches of each institution. The place should always answer to him aim. The architectonical model should value the totality of the space as place of learning and social relationships. In this sense the classrooms, the circulation areas, patios and exterior spaces should be designed to answer to the diversity and complexity of the activities and events typical of the educational process of each institution.
Educational architecture should be thought as an organism able to change and adapt to new teaching ways between kids, teachers, families and all the community.
More information
Architects
Design team
Designer.- Giancarlo Mazzanti. Design team.- Juan Manuel Gil, Liv Johana Zea. Interns.- Felipe Vejarano, Paula Santander, Joana Peixoto, Juliana Alzate, Jessica Jaramillo, Andrés Correa. Structural design.- Nicolás Parra.
Area
1,100 sqm.
Dates
Completion.- 2016.
Photography
Giancarlo Mazzanti
Giancarlo Mazzanti (1963, Barranquill, Colombia) is the director of El Equipo de Mazzanti. He studied Architecture at University of Javeriana in Bogotá, 1987, with PhD in History and Theory in Architecture and Industrial Design, 1991, at University of Florence, Italy.
He has been professor at University of Javeriana, Andes and Tadeo Lozano in Bogotá. He has participated as speaker at University of Princeton, Pratt, Yale, Berkeley, Venize, Monterrey, Buenos Aires, Católica del Perú among others.
He has been awarded as winner of the XX Bienal Colombiana de Arquitectura in the public spaces category in 2006, in the Bienal Iberoamericana in the Best Architecture Building category in 2008 and in the Bienal Panamericana de Arquitectura in the architecture design category in 2008.
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