Kindergarten

Design Studio
University of Toronto, 1st year MArch
Rhino, Illustrator, Model making
Individual work

Not until the late eighteenth century were young children viewed as fitting subjects for systematic pedagogical reflection. Some scholars have argued that the very idea of “childhood” is an invention of post-Enlightenment Europe. In any case, following the Swiss innovator Johann Pestalozzi, Friedrich Froebel took upon himself the task of developing a program by which young minds could be guided and formed. Through engaging with the world, understanding unfolds. Hence the significance of play – it is both a creative activity and through it children become aware of their place in the world.

The study and analysis of play and early childhood education will be the focus of this research and design explorations. As an extension of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), it is expected that the new kindergarten will play a prominent role in the academic discourse surrounding early childhood development.

The Design is based on the simple forms of a Square and a Circle. To maximize outdoor play and exercise, the roof is sloped so that children can freely run around the surface. Each education level is set further into the ground to create a safe and protected area for the children to learn and develop. The inner courtyard sets the lowest point of the Kindergarten which is accessible through the communal multipurpose space, which also leads to the Staircase which access the roof.