The University Child Development School designs a culture of inquiry essential to meaningful learning and as such often finds itself needing to reconfigure their spaces to suit this pursuit.
For this particular summer project, Rafn was called to reconfigure spaces within the building for new uses as well as to add to an existing space to create a teacher’s nook.
The Engineering and Design Garage (EDGe) is a newly configured classroom space previously used as staff offices that features a steel grated mezzanine specifically designed for science experiments and a repurposed glass wall. A spiral metal staircase provides access to the mezzanine which includes a hoist above an access panel in the floor, sturdy metal railings, and ceiling mounted electric receptacles to keep the floor area clear. The steel sash windows of the glass wall previously served in the school’s boiler room but now create a view into the EDGe from the interior of the building. The old science room was reconfigured as new staff offices.
The other major component of work on the project was the creation of a new “box on a stick” concept teacher’s nook. Rafn seamlessly integrated this new 2nd level space with the existing 2nd level walkway for the illusion a box mounted on a stick from below and a floating stair to access it. This small addition was challenging due to the various angles and multiple levels involved but the finished product is true to the visionary design intent.