New Horizons
The proposal for a new Montessori Primary School, located on a north facing slope with prime views of the Tyne Valley, was the brief for this project; to create a bespoke school to be available to the local and wider communities.
Taking the philosophies of the Montessori Pedagogy into deep consideration, the design aimed to allow the children free movement between the spaces and encourage the interaction between child and adult, creating a close community within the school environment. A hexagonal grid structure allowed for more open angled spaces, allowing for this fluid movement, bringing the school together as a whole. The repetition of the grid allowed prefabricated modular elements to form the majority of the building for ease and speed of construction, reducing costs.
Timber and natural stone cladding were to be used to create a welcoming atmosphere, making the children feel at home in their environment.