Playing With CMU

In this project, I took on ideas from two precedents, the Jorgensen House by Frederick Fisher and the Sawtooth Shed, to push the boundaries of how we think material, specifically CMU, can be used in an educational setting. The various scales and materials (cement, plywood, plastic, and pillow) of CMU are implemented to imply space in an open plan and the constant theme of fragmentation for this kindergarten scheme. The scale ranges from being tiny building blocks like legos for the kids to stack, to being occupiable spaces that the kids can find sanctuary or privacy in. In the overall form of the different rooms, CMU becomes the non-essential form when the walls abruptly transition into stucco. We see CMU being the essential building block for the interactivity of the space, but not be used as an integral foundation of the structure. Each material, scale, and color difference denotes the various types of interactive learning that happens within each room.