Patchwork Kindergarten

Fall ‘17 | Critic: Maria Vrdoljak

The Patchwork Kindergarten garners its form from the basic geometric shapes used by the German pedagogue Froebel in his teaching ‘gifts’. The kindergarten blurs the distinction between interior and exterior - made to be as messy and reactive as the pupils. The upper levels and open nature of individual classrooms allow the children to experience views of Staten Island in every direction. The slope of the site allows a visual interaction of the water from to the North available from every level. The children can observe and understand the simple folding operations of the roof, and weave through the kindergarten at their discretion. Nurture is knit into nature, and they become the masters of their educational experience.