Elementary school has a prominent role in forming the social personality of the kid as the first space one experiences after home. Thus the role of the educational space is a very important parameter in education system. The time each child spends in school is divided in two: first, the time which is spent in the class or lab, and the second is the break time which is playing and interacting with others. . In fact this part of children’s presence has a greater impact in the growth of their social personality and creativity. So; in this project the communal spaces:
- Are relevant to the local architecture in order to control the light and energy consumption (open and semi-open spaces)
- Are based on a democratic typology though more freedom in behavior is provided; order is an inseparable factor.
- Are different in size and spatial quality so that they will provide spaces in which children will have different behaviors in different grades and seasons.
- Are designed for both sexes, though the space is being used simultaneously by two groups; each has their own spaces
- Has the revelation characteristic to nourish the students’ sense of curiosity and creativity.
Through years a dictatorship structure has dominated the education system, all the schools have a mass containing lobbies, classes, office rooms, services and etc with a large yard for queues and play. But this project –based on a democratic idea- is made of a mixture of masses and voids. The primary unit is a 6*6 m cube with 4m high. With combining this unit, 5 primary types were created. All the school spaces are formed by a mix and match of these types. This order has the below results:
- Ease and simplicity in construction with all the current construction methods even the vernacular ones.
- However the spaces are varied, but at the same time the first unit is a simple geometry which can be easily grasped by the children.
- Based on the planning, extra parts can be added in the future and if some parts are not needed at the moment can be omitted without influencing the design structure.
In the functional order of the spaces based on the cognition of behavior it is tried to:
- Since the school is located in the deprived area library, health care and multi-function hall are designed in such a way to be accessible out of the school time.
- 6 classes are divided into 3 each containing 2 classes with a commune lobby and yard. It is suggested each section includes a creativity workshop.
- Office spaces are located in the centre both connected to the education and socio-cultural sections and also providing separate access for parents and teachers.
- Because of the school’s location a dorm has been considered in the design for the possible guest-teachers.