MY LITTLE Our Makeover of the Month features a preschool and cultural centre wh
Mi Casita Preschool and Cultural Center, designed collaboratively by Barker Associates Architecture Office and 4|Mativ Design Studio, is located in a new mixed-use development in Brooklyn, New York.
The design brief called for three classrooms to occupy a large space with 15 foot ceilings on the ground floor of the building and a lower level for support programming. The space is organised around an L-shaped trough sink which becomes a social gathering spot and that also functions as a bathroom sink.
Divisions between the rooms are made with furniture to provide flexibility so that the space can be transformed for special events including performances organised by the school's artist-in-residence.
The bi-lingual school’s focus is on being a ‘home away from home’ and inspiring children to learn from the different cultures that coexist in Brooklyn. This led the designers to incorporate graphic elements relating to home and city in the design of the space.
A large house-shaped vitrine on the mezzanine will showcase seasonal displays that relate to the curriculum. House-shaped cut-outs in the walls provide child-sized reading nooks and passages through the space. A graphic in shades of pale blue in the tile mosaic around the bathroom and trough sink references the city skyline and is echoed as a linear element in the window treatment.
Colour is used for dramatic effect throughout the space. Turquoise on the ceiling and light globes give the sense of being under a bright blue sky. Orange is used in cut-outs in the walls and accent elements in the space. Orange-lined stairs lead down to the parent-co-working space.
Large format wood-effect flooring brings a sense of calming nature into the space while brightly coloured floor tiles demarcate wet areas and create visual interest.
14 | MAKEOVER OF THE MONTH
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
