4_2_2020

               There’s a Nigerian proverb which says it takes a village to raise a child. It is not only parents who are tasked with raising the next generation of presidents, astronauts and firefighters but also all who work at a school. We learn about nutrition from the chefs in the cafeteria, and how to stay safe from the security guards. Every so often you learn history from a janitor, as I did in the fourth grade when my janitor was asked to speak in my class about his experiences as a Vietnamese refugee in the 1970s. For some, a school is a temporary abode while for others it may be the closest thing they get to a home. Furthermore, as the world is increasingly divided into factions, now more than ever do we need places where people can congregate and feel connected to each other. Schools, as public institutions, are primed to become contemporary cultural centers.

               The central unifying principle of the project is flow. Whether it be the flow of air through the central stack and throughout the building, the fluid dynamism of the interaction between the public and private spheres, or the fluidity of spatial boundaries, I propose using the principles of fluid dynamics to allow the students maximum comfort and well-being; to build a village around a child.

              

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