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Architecture studio MoDus Architects has expanded a day care center in the Italian town of Terlano, creating the Tartan School nursery, kindergarten and youth center.
The South Tyrol town is surrounded by orchards and vineyards, which the studio used to shape the look of the nursery.
“The school takes its name from the building’s stucco exterior, which mimics the pattern of a tartan fabric that conveys a sense of warmth and familiarity,” said Sandy Attia, co-founder of MoDus Architects.
“The combined use of color and texture is a cost-effective strategy for simultaneously camouflaging and shaping a character, despite the seemingly different definitions of the two words,” the studio added.
The extension features a two-tone, green lattice-patterned facade and sawtooth roof, setting it apart from the traditional existing buildings and surrounding town.
It contains a kindergarten for 100 children with four classrooms as well as group rooms, nap rooms, reading areas and common areas.
The studio is designed to connect the lower level of the extension, which will be used by the wider community to host events and meetings, with outdoor space.
Next to the restaurant is a colonnade filled with glass walls and doors, visually connecting it to the campus.
In addition to the restaurant, other spaces that will be used by the community include a 50-person auditorium and a gym.
“In Italy, schools have a long tradition as places for various activities outside of class,” said MoDus Architects.
“We think of schools as being like jigsaw puzzles, and while ideally each piece has to fit into place, if over time some of the pieces get lost, the bigger picture still needs to be clear.”
In addition to the extension, the rearranged existing structure now houses a kindergarten on the upper floor and a youth center on the lower floor.
MoDus Architects aimed to combine the two structures with interior finishes including red brick resin floors, wooden ceilings and MDF furniture. Sound-absorbing panels are used on the ceiling to reduce noise caused by the many young users.
MoDus Architects was founded in 2000 by Sandy Attia and Matteo Scagnol and is headquartered in Brixen, a small town in northern Italy.
Its previous projects include the refurbishment of a 1960s education center and a sports center topped with a conical tower.
Photography is by Marco Cappelletti.
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