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La Case de Tous Petit is an infant education center in the village of Tabadian in the Tanaf Valley, Senegal. The decision of creating a school for children from 2 to 6 years is leaded by discussions with local teachers, highlighting the lack of any education before primary school on rural areas. The project starts from the assumption that children can make sense of the world around them through play. In this way they can develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments. The Ring Around the Rosie dance is the key image to develop the sense of community, translated into small buildings around a courtyard. In the same way of the playful red path that twists and turns around buildings and gardens, the children of the center are accompanied on a path of discovery, growth and fun. The project begins with a deep analysis of the context, meaning climate conditions, available materials, people needs and desires. The aim of the research is to bring quality design with appropriate techniques and materials, to be easily constructed by locals and replicated in the nearby villages. An elevated platform keeps the built environment dry on the rainy season, together with a continuous roof covering both buildings and open-air classrooms. The main construction material is earth, for its large availability and low cost: adobe compressed bricks for wall structure and playground-path, earth bags foundations, clay and straw plaster. The warm colors of the land grow from the basement to the walls, while the path has the vivid red of the laterite. Earth walls provide a great thermal mass, while the detached roof guarantees ventilation. Wood joints are designed for simple and quick assembling, minimizing the use of metal plates. The roof overhangs to protect the building; rainwater is collected into floor drains and stored in an underground tank for washing and irrigation. The center includes two classrooms for about 20 children, a space for parents and stuff, a small infirmary, kitchen, toilets and an open-air refectory. Buildings are arranged around a green courtyard, while protected open air spaces offer several gathering spaces. The smooth red path defines the surrounding gardens for playgrounds, trees and farming. The overall center is enclosed by a stranded fence, providing appropriate security and strengthening the sense of protection and care.
Project by:
Citterio Viel & Partners_Luigi Castelli Gattinara, Clara Alfieri
Sebastiano Adragna Architetti_Sebastiano Adragna, Giovanni Gazzo
Giulia Aiello, Antonio Artino, Francesco Bottaro, Emanuela Cappetta, Francesca Caradonna, Valeria Di Paola, Federoca Di Venanzio, Erika Palmieri, Maria Piccolo, Elisa Privitera, Federica Tognetti
