PLAYFUL COGNITIVE REITERATION
lea vanlian
The education center in Senegal is a 4-unit system that challenges the original, orthodox school approach by adopting a new, playful form of learning. The system is based on the repetition of a single rectangular module that is translated into seats and tables. This creates interactive spaces of different levels, thus eliminating the need for any furniture, all while providing a playful atmosphere. The spaces’ functions are coded through the prosperity of the module, where its scarcity dictates more serious spaces, and its peak characterizes the most playful zones – the playgrounds. Moreover, each classroom is uniquely designed to accommodate the different learning methods of the students, varying from open-air classrooms, inter-learning classrooms, and enclosed classrooms. Contrary to what the complex system might convey, every space is independent from the other, with no circulation within them. Here, nature acts as a common hallway that forces students to go back out into nature upon entering a new space, thereby liberating their minds, and connecting with the outside. Finally, the system provides extensive visibility across the units, acting as viewing platforms between spaces, hence avoiding feelings of constraint, and evoking a sense of freedom and flexibility.