New York Children's School
Fall 2016
Program: A children's creative arts school with open, interactive, and collaborative learning environments.
A focus to connect and mimic natural systems and environments guides the design for a school with a goal to stimulate creativity in children rather than depress it.
Initial Conceptual Model_Investigation of the broken, irregular facade around a series of intertwined spaces. The notion of a 'nest' atop the tower acts as refuge from the untamed city below.
The city of New York appears as a fantastical jungle on the horizon. It is a place filled with iconic architecture that has both shaped the image of the city and its people. The idea of façade is so important to the idea of New York City, where image and presence reign. The city is dense, layered, and incredibly dynamic. Positive and negative forces not only draw individuals to the city, but also throughout it. The idea of New York – of pilgrimaging to the city to have one’s dreams realized – is represented in the countless examples of 20th century American architecture.
In a place where form and façade have historically been so prominent, there appears to be a new flame in the city. New York is the epitome of modern; it is forever old and new, and it is constantly evolving. Small pockets of nature in the form of parks and gardens bud from the sterile ground, giving life to the city. New icons are emerging on the famous skyline. Fashion houses are reinterpreting their past collections to create pieces iconic to modern times. The city of creativity and dreams seems to be extending an invitation once again for people of the world to come to it.
Building models investigating free facade and lighting quality.
Architecturally, influences of the city’s Art Deco and Modernist past appear in today’s buildings. Faceted forms and glitzy facades tell the story of the city’s important role in theater and design, while more sculptural examples prove that the city can continue to host the most extreme and cutting-edge designs. In the fashion world, heritage brands and famous American design houses are embracing this change, using technology to advance their products. Architecture and fashion are seeming to merge, specifically (and thankfully) in New York. It’s fascinating to experience a city that is so connected to the changing world. Architecture creates an environment and backdrop to the way we collaborate, think, and progress, while fashion helps us to create an image of how we want the world to view us. As the two progress, so do we as a society and a culture. Much of the world sees politics and the economy as driving factors of societal change, but in reality, the true change stems from the architecture and fashion of the times. Architecture and fashion are the result of the times; a true interpretation of the world that we live in. As artists we inherently absorb culture, synthesizing countless amounts of data. It is the architectural genius that allows us to analyze the times and create a building that effectively represents the direction of the world. The same can be said for fashion designers, who continually produce campaigns and collections that portray the times season after season. The most successful designers and architects accomplish this with each new project. In the design world, mediocrity is failure, and originality is success and progression.
Sketch of building section.
Continuous circulation model within urban context.
First Floor_Street Level - The construction of the first floor aims to enclose all programmatic elements within a stone base.
Second Level_The main access point of the school includes an above ground plaza that invites the public in.
Third Level_Focused on individual and group thinking and collaborating spaces, as well as spaces for traditional creative making practices.
Fourth Level_Integrates resources and process of documentation within the creative process.
Fifth Floor_Engages students with learning through sound and touch.
