Nursery School in Romano di Lombardia: Architecture as a Tool for Development, Connection, and Daily Discovery

Located in the municipality of Romano di Lombardia, Bergamo, this nursery school casts architecture as an active educational tool – a spatial organism constructed around the social, perceptive, and motor development needs of infants.

“The design is responsive architecture tailored to the lives of its young occupants,” notes lead architect Remo Capitanio of Studio Capitanio Architetti. “Light, materials, and space intertwine in a measured balance to subtly accompany infants as they discover the world, transforming every threshold into an experience and every social interaction into an opportunity for growth.”

A safe environment for free exploration

The design concept stems from an awareness of the role space plays during infancy. Rather than merely hosting educational activities, therefore, the school directly helps shape identity, self-perception, and social interaction. This awareness informs a clear, legible layout. Every space supports experiential learning, as spatial quality and environmental comfort combine as educational tools.

With its low, horizontal profile, the building sits quietly within the flat Bergamo landscape. The architectural composition centers on a carved-out volume on the south elevation that opens the commons toward the courtyard to create a natural extension for indoor activities. The garden forms an integral part of the curriculum. Natural light, the changing weather, and seasonal sounds and colors permeate the children’s daily routine to stimulate sensory and motor development.

A wraparound portico creates a sheltered, habitable threshold – an intermediate space for solar shading and passive climate regulation where interior and exterior overlap. For the children, the portico provides a place for free exploration, play, and social interaction in a secure, protected environment.

Clad in white aluminum sheeting, the building envelope has an unadorned surface with a vertical texture that reacts to natural light with shifting reflections and shadows. The louver system along the portico also shapes a kinetic visual experience. As an observer moves through the walkway, the louvers rhythmically fragment and recompose the surrounding landscape, transforming the view into a dynamic sequence of images. This visual dynamic introduces a primary form of spatial exploration for infants, with their perception of the environment continuously changing as they move.

Sensory experiences and visual continuity

Inside, a central commons forms the heart of the school, with classrooms organized around it as open, permeable environments. This layout replaces traditional corridors with a continuous, fluid, and socially focused arrangement.

Large glazed surfaces – a hallmark of the project – provide constant visual permeability between spaces, therefore fostering a connection between different activities. This transparency also serves an educational purpose, with the ability to observe their surroundings fueling children’s curiosity and spontaneous participation, while teachers benefit from passive supervision.

The use of birch as the dominant material for the glazing systems and custom millwork contributes to a welcoming, domestic atmosphere that provides familiarity and comfort. Large openings between the classrooms and commons feature deep jambs that create alcoves for resting, informal gatherings, and spontaneous interaction.

The design also prioritizes the acoustic quality of the interiors. Exposed wood-fiber ceiling panels dampen reverberation to provide the comfortable acoustic conditions vital for infant well-being. Technical performance therefore contributes to the sensory experience in a balance of mechanical function and design sensitivity.

Ultimately, the nursery school in Romano di Lombardia is an educational landscape where architecture, pedagogy, and nature continuously interact. It does not merely accommodate infants, but gently supports them as they discover the world, with every environment an opportunity for shared growth.

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