Montessori School

TIMELINE: 6 Weeks

MEDIUMS USED: Wood, Card Stock Paper, Rhino 6, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

CONSTRAINTS: Located on a bridge, Must adhere to Montessori requirements, privacy for the public street-facing facades, each classroom requires a greenhouse and HVAC/plumbing space below

ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS: The Montessori School Project exemplifies a harmonious fusion of architectural ingenuity and adherence to specific constraints. Situated on a bridge, the lightweight structure navigates the challenge of supporting a Montessori school while ensuring privacy for the children. 

The client's requirements included creating five distinct classroom layouts, each of which featured a large floor mat, outdoors space, a greenhouse, and table space. Additionally, the design extended beyond classrooms to encompass administrative buildings and play spaces, with the overall design intended to be mirrored across the bridge as a produce market. Executing this vision involved the use of software such as Rhino 6, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop, as well as physical materials such as wood and card stock paper. Our deliverables were a 8” to 1’ “mid age-range” classroom model, and a 4" to 1' scale model of the entire school to be located atop a team-built bridge, all achieved within a remarkable six-week time frame. 

The red brick outer layer serves as a unifying element between the working-class neighborhood on one side and the historic, luxurious neighborhood on the other. The design strategically capitalizes on the bridge location, featuring a sill overlooking the  river, and a pump system that harnesses energy from the flowing river to power a portion of the school. The classrooms are arranged from the youngest kids north to oldest south. The classrooms are located one next to the other so that the younger kids have windows overlooking the older ones’ outdoor space, learning how to behave through observation, especially in an “outside” space designed to both learn and play. The classrooms all feature the greenhouse in the southeast corner, as it maximizes its exposure to the strong southbound Sunlight, while also creating a light source in the otherwise darkest part of the class. Classrooms also feature a crow’s nest and an elevated study space accessible with a spiral stairway with an elevator in the center, providing kids daily fitness and opportunities to have a space to hide away in. The school is effectively ventilated by three "Big Ass Fans" Located in the corridor. Finally, drawing inspiration from Louis Khan's design of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, the innovative window system on the east side, ensures privacy, abundant sunlight, and opportunities for observation, fostering a dynamic and enriching learning environment for Montessori students.