The school of tomorrow

Compiled by Leah Linhares

Photography: Maxime Brouillet; courtesy V2com

  

Relaxation Space cum Library

Sainte-Anne Academy in Dorval, Canada is more a blank canvas for the students’ creativity than an interpretation of the designers’ imagination! IAnD explores…

Focussed on reinventing the educational space, Taktik Design has raised the bar of institutional interiors with the transformation of an 1896 heritage building into a modern-day elementary school.

 

Signage and wayfinding

Staircase                                                                                                                                             Signage outside Classroom

The 1,20,000 sq. ft academy is designed entirely from the kids’ perspective: from room layouts to furniture design, where a smartly created efficient environment not only accommodates the latest teaching standards but imbues fun-filled surroundings for the students.

 

Overview of Library

Utilising a modern approach, the interiors reflect openness to interaction. With classrooms spacious enough to enable wholesome communication and a wide range of activities, spaces open up to clear sight lines and relevant connections between functions, while allowing more light into the heart of the school.  

 

Relaxation Space cum Library

Adding to this bilateral element are the special signage and colours. Certain rooms like the library, theatre and cafeteria are coloured in warm hues of red, yellow and orange creating an energetic, cheerful and vibrant atmosphere; while interactive signage sketched on walls plastered in cool colours of green and blue promotes a sense of belonging.

 

Theatre Room                                                                                                                                                             Coat Hangars

Thematic rooms like the greenhouse and theatre support holistic growth beyond the textbook word, while the classrooms are endowed with a monochromatic colour palette to guard against visual over-stimulation, allowing the children to actively contribute to their wholesome environment.

Cafeteria

Furniture is especially designed and employs seven hundred sheets of plywood for a cost-effective, solid and easy-to-clean solution; the sheets of plywood proving to be economical and better suited than furniture available off-the-shelf. Every aspect of the furniture is carefully considered; the colourful lockers in the locker rooms and coatrooms are tailored for the size of the students, allowing for easy access.

 

Morning Garden Area

Icons representing the institution’s values are posted on the walls and included on signage, contributing to the unique character of each learning space. The same shapes are used throughout, though varying in scale, to ensure consistency and strengthen the visual identity of the spaces. The logo too is now a progressive design.

Kindergarten Classroom

Awarded Project of the Year at the Grands Prix Du Design 2016, Taktik Design has pulled out all stops to ensure a friendly yet nurturing environment for the young, without compromising on the ultimate comfort level of the tutor.