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The new “Childhood Centre” for the municipality of Suzzara is a project consisting in the replacement of the existing school building by demolition and reconstruction in situ and was made possible thanks to funding from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The building is based on a circular shape, seen as a symbol of harmony and inclusion: these concepts become spaces that in turn articulate and organise themselves to compose a unity. The circular shape also contributes to optimise natural lighting: the classrooms are arranged radially along the south-east and south-west directions, so that sunlight can be distributed throughout the day.
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The context of the project consists in a consolidated urban fabric, predominantly residential, with buildings built mainly between the 1960s and 1980s. The new intervention is in dialogue with its surroundings, contributing to enhance an otherwise ordinary area through a significant architectural presence. The compact shape of the building allows the large green areas to be enhanced. The choice of materials used for the roofing recalls those typical of local buildings, seeking an unusual harmony with the existing context. The concept of the outdoor spaces also refers to the theme of the circle, identifying a series of spaces inspired by Gianni Rodari's poem ‘Dopo la pioggia” (After the rain).
The project was developed with a strong focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. Financed by the PNRR, it first follows the DNSH (Do No Significant Harm) principles: these require compliance with specific parameters to ensure that the work does not cause significant harm to the environment. The building incorporates high performance solutions for primary energy requirements and the thermal transmittance of the envelope. With regard to the latter, specific design solutions have been adopted: the ground floor is set back from the pillars to protect the façades from solar radiation, while the first floor is equipped with vertical sunshades that act as screens, improving comfort and performance.
The building certainly represents a unique element in the urban landscape of Suzzara, it is a presence that strongly characterises this part of the city. The decision, which might seem counterintuitive, to have the nursery on the first floor and not on the ground floor was dictated by the fact that it was preferred to relate the inner courtyard, which is more suitable for outdoor play, to the kindergarten. The nursery will be provided with the terrace, which will be dedicated more to rest and sensorypools. A structure consisting of 72 laminated wood frames arranged in a radial pattern was adopted for its construction, which favours speed of completion and will make the building easy to disassemble in the future. The classrooms have been designed to ensure high standards of environmental well-being for the children. For example, there are heating and cooling systems with radiant floor coils thermally decoupled from the structure by means of an insulating panel. This solution guarantees a high indoor air quality and thus provides optimal health conditions for the children.
The Suzzara’s Childhood Centre project represents one of those rare opportunities in which it has been possible to concretely translate innovative design practices, especially with reference to the relationship between architecture and users. From the spatial experience to the technical devices, everything is designed to create an active educational tool, supporting individual and collective growth, fully integrated into the fabric of the community.
Tectoo is a creative hub of architects whose partners’ background experience spans across many countries and continents: Europe, North America, Middle East and Far East, Australia and Africa.
Tectoo has been established by the Architect Susanna Scarabicchi, former partner of Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW). Her expertise, sensitivity and competence have been highly recognized around the world throughout the projects she led and designed over the past 30 years. Tectoo’s cutting-edge approach is also enhanced by the expertise of Architect Andrea Peschiera, with whom Architect Scarabicchi has had a productive collaboration at RPBW and who joined the firm as partner and director since its foundation, sharing the common focus on technical excellence and experimentation, developed through his international experience.
Tectoo is deeply rooted by architectural, environmental and social convictions while the best building concepts grow by means of a rigorous and innovative approach.
