Unique architectural design
The architectural design of a school is an important element of the education. It can make a huge difference to the way we educate our children. For example, provision of ample amount of natural light should be a priority. For smaller children, a safe and colorful design is a necessity. It should induce learning through play, encourage creativity and teach them important lessons of life such as sharing, confidence, love for nature etc.
A school in Japan has become quite popular due to its unique architectural design. The design has won the 2017 Moriyama RAIC International Prize. Fuji kindergarten is in the Tachikawa suburb of the city, accommodating about 600 children between the age of 2 and 6 years. The architect from Tokyo, Takaharu Tezuka, follows the Montessori theme in his design i.e. giving children the freedom to learn and play without any physical boundaries.
The purpose is to provide a safe environment where children can freely fall and get wet and run around without the need for gadgets or play equipment. The building is in the form a ring and thus children play fairly with everyone without a sense of a middle.
As opposed to the standard design, this kind of setup allows kids to be independent and collaborate with one another. The classrooms are left open so that the children create the level of noise found in natural environments. According to the architect “Just as a fish cannot live in purified water, children cannot live in a clean, quiet and controlled environment.”
A healthy amount of danger should be introduced to children in order to prepare them for the world outside. Takaharu Tezuka says, “People don’t melt in the rain. Children were meant to be outside, so this is how we should treat them.” This is so true! We have become overprotective of our children today and deny them the childhood they really deserve.
The architect’s final verdict, “Don’t control them, don’t protect them too much. They need to tumble sometimes, they need to get some injuries. And that teaches them how to live in this world.” So what do you think?
This is definitely a matter of personal choice. With issues like pollution, terrorism, and insecurity in Pakistan and the number of diseases especially in the outdoors in our country, parents have become more conscious and prefer closed room classes. But this is childhood we are talking about; a carefree time where kids should be enjoying themselves and learning via play and fun. When you are looking for a Montessori for your child, do check the building for the following things:
- Enough provision of sunlight in the classroom
- Large playground
- An environment that encourages freedom of play, sharing and collaboration and creativity
- A certain amount of noise and not a very quiet and controlled environment where children feel nervous
The government will take its sweet time in bringing these changes into their buildings. They should hire private architects to design school buildings especially kindergartens to meet the changing needs of children. Creating a more nature-friendly environment inside the classroom can provide a safe space for children to play and learn since the outdoors are no more as natural as they used to be!
