The «Letovo Junior» educational complex includes a kindergarten, an elementary and a secondary school. The composition consists of three blocks for different age categories. They are connected by galleries and public spaces. A large sports hall has become a separate volume.
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“Letovo Junior” Educational Complex
Educational Architecture (Built)
Firm
UNK
Architect/Designer
Yuliy Borisov
Design Team
Head of the author team, Yuliy Borisov; head of the project, Olga Reunova; Chief architect of the organization Dmitriy Ikonnikov, architects: Alexey Yakushev, Anastasia Shutova, Arina Moiseeva, Diana Kosherova, Anastasia Morozova, Polina Blagonravina
Location
Moscow. Russia
Country
Russia
Photographer/Copyright
©Photographer Daniel Annenkov
The school’s appearance was based on a number of values: 1. Individuality: each block has its own unique look, which allows the child to identify the school as a personal space. 2. Safety: after all, school is associated with a second home, and an important aspect of home is a sense of coziness and comfort. This effect is achieved by using proportionate to child volumes and recognizable images. 3. Another important aspect is interest. It is important that the learning process does not turn into a routine, the appearance of the school should evoke an emotional response, so each block of the school “speaks” to students of different ages in their language.
The school has designed not as an integral building, but as a children’s the town. Each block is a separate “block” with public spaces between them, connected by a deliberately neutral horizontal connection. The first block is a cozy town for younger children, the second quarter for elementary grades has taken the form of a greenhouse, the third is a technological hub in the form of a block constructor for secondary school students, while the gym which brings us back to the to industrial architecture, it is a kind of “sports factory”.
The exterior of the school reflects the internal structure of the building. The classrooms are located along its perimeter, each classroom on the facades is visually separated into a separate “house”. A child can associate himself with his class even when he is outside of school. In the center, surrounded by “houses”, “squares” – are recreation areas illuminated by second-light lanterns. A large amount of natural light allows pupils to feel most comfortable and also contributes to their productivity and well-being during the day. The engineering systems of the sports hall were assembled in a bright extension in the form of container blocks, which partially serve as a children’s playground.