Recent Project: Montessori school

Another recent project here on the boards: This is a new three-classroom Montessori school in a central Auckland suburb, behind two existing houses used as admin and accommodation.

The roof forms add interest from the (higher) local street -- and also (very importantly) shade direct sun while allowing in plenty of indirect light, making the spaces bright, clean and open.

The inner and outer spaces in each of the classrooms (or environments, as Montessorians call them) give two contrasting types of space within the larger realm: the larger central space a well-lit interior, the others as "saddle-bags" around it relating directly to the decks, gardens and planting beyond the doors and windows. The number of these spaces maps the number of pedagogical areas in each Montessori environment.

The buildings themselves are child-scaled, and the geometric play mirrors the similar play the children themselves undertake in the Montessori environment ...

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Recent Project: Victoria country weekender

Another of the things I’ve been working on recently: This one for a small, inexpensive weekender on a tiny Victorian country street -- taking advantage of mountain views, an equable climate, trees to the rear, and an affordable materials system … and exploiting "shared space" inside.

Recent Project: Office/Showhome

Another project on the boards, part of a bigger project to put together an affordable materials system to build (hey presto!) affordable homes.

This project is a small part of that bigger whole: a small, experimental, stand-alone office and training centre for up to 15 people — that doubles as a show home (which itself is part of that whole other story).

The design is very subtly complex, exploiting interlocking spaces in all three dimensions to do much with fairly little. (And, yes, sliding cavity doors close off each of those corner spaces when desired.)

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