Sezin Kindergarten & Primary School
A learning environment fostering a fresh culture of learning for both students and teachers
TAGS
Educational Spaces
Learning Environments
Experience Design
CLIENT
Private Sezin School
STATUS
Completed, 2020
RESPONSIBILITIES
Architectural Design
Spatial Strategy
User Experience Design Environmental Graphics Construction Control Const. Phasing Strategy Bidding Consultancy Educational Furniture Design Furniture Manufacturing
RECOGNITION
London International Creative Competition 2021, Winner
WA Awards 2021, Winner
The goal is to design innovative modular systems focused on exploring new ways of learning, experimenting, and sharing. By designing the sub-culture of learning environments that trigger curiosity, the intention is to create an atmosphere that cultivates a new learning culture for students and teachers through spatial design.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
Sezin School has been one of the leading private K12 schools in Istanbul since the 1960s.
A new design for kindergarten and primary school reflecting Sezin's culture and values in consideration of changing learning methods and school life dynamics is asked.
The new design should encourage students to be more curious about and engaged with their surroundings independently of the formative principles of school.
Apart from the design process, execution time limit was quite challenging. The only time for execution on-site is 45-day summer break.
ANALYSIS
The design research immersion with over
200 hours of fieldwork framed the early discussions, encapsulating interviews with teachers and students, cultural probes, workshops, and passive on-site observations.
Co-design workshops were held with kindergarteners, elementary school students, and teachers. They were asked to visualize and draw or make models of their ideal learning environment, tools, and gadgets.
SYNTHESIS
After a deep and extensive design research, insights were enlisted. Design is shaped around four major ones.
Active & passive zones
Current schools prioritize the needs of extrovert students, with abundant open play spaces. Spaces for a moment of refuge and introspection are essential for inclusive learning environments.
Learner-centered
A mental model that flips a knowledge-centered experience towards a learner-centered one is crucial to support different learning journeys.
Indepenent individuals
The need for a ‘stage’ for student presentations became evident, alongside individual desk spaces to provide ‘personal territory'.
Boosting curiosity
Students'curiosity and engagement with their surroundings should be encouraged independently of formative principles.
A learning environment fostering a fresh culture of learning for both students and teachers
CONCEPT
Kindergarten and Primary School are designed to infuse flexible pedagogical spaces with a spatially hybrid program that fosters playing, meeting, working, and learning in a school with a 60-year legacy as well as its own culture.
The project entailed light-handed yet effective interventions conducted over a duration of 2 years.
Reflecting all the major insights in classrooms was the mission. To emphasize the emergent nature of learner-centered pedagogy, classrooms were designed to be multicentred.
Multiple classroom layouts for different modes of learning and age groups were preset. Teachers’ desks were sized at the exact same dimensions as the student, thus implying a new dynamic that equalizes the power relationship within the classroom.
The first decision is to expand the old library and transform it into a see-through, multi-functional space to attract students to the playful world of books. It is aimed to encourage students to be the owners of the space rather than visitors.
The spatial graphics throughout the area employed a lovable, genderless character that helps delineate spaces and challenges the idea of school as an overserious institution.
Spatial programming of kindergarten ensures that the layout would be independent of formal school design elements.
The layout and proximity of the zones in the kindergarten are informed by parameters such as the need for natural daylight, direct access to the garden, visual connection with classrooms, acoustic isolation, and scenario-based circulation paths.
ON-SITE
