IR2033 : Not a Child’s Play

Close your eyes and think of 5 words/phrases that come to your mind when we say the word –child. Naughty, cute, playful, rainbow, innocent, primary colors, basic shapes, fairy tales, pink and blue, no sharp edges... did you think of at least three of these? Welcome to the world of stereotypes. In this studio, I tried breaking stereotypes as I design a Primary School in an Urban site. I was encouraged by tutors to use my own past experiences as primary school goers as a starting point for my investigation. The studio was followed by a series of exercises that helped me to explore child-appropriate scale and spatial qualities through diagrams and study models. During the design process, I learned two different approaches to designing an interior space, Outside-In, and Inside-Out, that can be applied to almost any kind of design project. Learning is a central activity in schools. This studio also gave me a chance for developing a Spatial Pedagogy that will facilitate learning while placing the spotlight on the physical and psychological needs of children.