Swings + Roundabouts Spring 2021

Diana Preschool Atelier Further subtleties can be found throughout the design – the idea of the wider environment as a ‘place of the senses’ communicating weather patterns, seasonal changes, diurnal rhythms and community interaction. This manifests itself architecturally using expansive glazed walls, indoor / outdoor flow, rooflights, wintergardens, plants and trees and installations that make natural forces visible – windchimes etc. Diana Preschool wintergarden This centre is now over 60 years old but the concepts behind the design are as relevant today as they were when it was created. So how do we best incorporate Reggio concepts into a New Zealand context? Firstly the early childhood provider must have a clear understanding of their own pedagogy. ‘Importing’ a strong pedagogical approach such as Reggio without a clear understanding of its context or adaptation to local context is not going to lead to the successes of Reggio. We have seen a beautiful Reggio inspired centre in New Zealand with a huge central piazza, which may as well have tumbleweeds blowing across it, it was that barren. Clearly, both the client and the architect did not understand the concept of this space or its context. New Zealand has limited history of town squares and so the space is not easily understood by anyone. Furthermore, parents in urban New Zealand do not generally want to spend time socialising in a centre – they are on busy schedules and most socialising happens in the classroom whilst settling their child. The Diana centre grew out of its Italian community, where parents helped to build and run it, and the pace of life was far more relaxed, and community focused – hence the piazza was a great success. It’s not to say that such a space cannot work in a New Zealand context, but the drivers that led to its creation in Italy also need to be here in New Zealand i.e., it needs to be the heart of a community, and the space needs careful adaptation. The best approach to take when creating a Reggio inspired centre, or any new centre to be honest, is to start by creating your own pedagogy and curriculum. This will allow you to understand the key things that are important and different about the service you want to offer. Once you have these, a working session with a good conceptual architect familiar in early childhood will enable the key points to be transformed into spaces that bring your own pedagogy to life in 3 dimensions. By doing this you will successfully adapt your ideas to the local context and create architecture which reflects the unique service you offer. San Francisco centre – art space integral to room And this can be done with old and new buildings – there is no reason why a refurbished building shouldn’t be just as successful particularly if it is located in a building that is well loved and recognised by the local community. There is a great example of a Reggio inspired centre in San Francisco, in an old community hall, which was refurbished and paid for by the local community. There is no piazza here, just a reasonably wide corridor, but there is a large dining/ function room. The rooms are light and airy, well connected to the outdoors, whilst the ateliers are really just spaces within the room for art and nature exploration, not separate spaces. September 2021 { 31 }