Blue Bird Primary

Project Name:

Blue Bird Nursery School

Client:

Blue Bird Nursery School/ Mrs.Annie Macmillan

Location:

Dunkeld West, Johannesburg, South Africa

Date:

2005

The intension was to create a building that was playful and exciting but not at all intimidating to little children, and could in some subtle way contribute to their nurturing and education. Eucalyptus ’latte’ are used as sun shading for a building that had to face west, and these combine to form something of a skirt. At times the skirt drops right down to the ground, creating child-size spaces; enabling a feeling of protection and security as the young school children hold on to the building’s skirt (as they would a mother’s skirt). The latte create balustrades and shading screens which undulate along the façade according to the sun’s movement , window positions, and operating hours. The Bluebird project is a very simple and cost effective brick building with robust finishes; but with a very delicate and sensitive feel to it.