The design for this Montessori School in Maine focused on creating an inspiring and inviting learning environment for around twenty small children. Special emphasis was put on natural lighting and ventilation, creating a building and interior spaces that would resonate with the smaller scale of the child. The school's situation on its site, and the materials and methods chosen, create a unique and sustainable building conducive to early education.
Completed with Driver-Ryan Architects.
A school for small children requires special care and consideration in its design. Natural light, air quality, a sense of safety and security, and scale were all taken into thought throughout and incorporated. A welcoming front facade and entrance were key the design of the school, and thus included large operable windows, local vernacular and recognizable materials (wooden clapboard and shingle), and the main portion of the facade scaled down to a single story to better relate to the size of a child
The two front large classroom spaces are given the most prominence and importance, as those are the spaces that will be inhabited the majority of the time. The other dominant space is the Common Room, prefect for assemblies, large meetings, and student productions. Sustainability is important here, and is reflected in the use of materials. Large locally sourced timber comprises the majority of the structure, the exterior walls are SIP panels greatly improving the thermal barrier, the flooring is green linoleum and bamboo, and the exterior cladding is locally sourced wooden clapboard and shingle.
The exterior is painted a bright and welcoming yellow, and the multiple large windows give the front facade its appearance of openness.
Looking down into the bright open spaces of the main classrooms, viewing the exposed timber structural frame.
