Mar 17, 2010
Terra Madre | Luca Peralta Studio
Image courtesy Luca Peralta Studio
“Mother Earth” is the winning design competition entry for a kindergarten school and connected public spaces that will be built in Bisceglie, south Italy. The project, commissioned by the local municipality and sponsored by the Department of Architecture and Landscape of the Italian Ministry of Culture, is expected to be completed in July 2011. The competition winner, Luca Peralta Studio, will lead all project design phases and direction of the construction site. 
Diagram courtesy Luca Peralta Studio
The architectural design emphasizes a plan diagram that is strongly characterized by a striated organization, alternating indoor “served” and “servant” spaces defined by parallel walls. This striated system is intersected by a fluid one to define an outdoor and completely enclosed courtyard that functions as a safe playground space for the young children. This space is wrapped with a glazed corridor which is the building’s primary circulation that “knots” and connects all its functional programs.
Image courtesy Luca Peralta Studio
The project strives to evoke a deep, metaphorical and aesthetic relationship with Mother Earth. The central playground courtyard re-establishes the typical natural landscape of the region using native plants/trees to educate children of their regional environment. Meanwhile, the perimeter outdoor spaces incorporate vegetable gardens and small orchards where children can learn how traditional local foods are cultivated. An Ecologic message that integrates environmental education into everyday experiences using the innovative design of gardens. These function as outdoor classrooms that encourage discovery through multi-sensorial experiences: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
Diagram courtesy Luca Peralta Studio
The project’s connection to Mother Earth is reinforced through environmentally sensitive design. Passive systems are optimized in order to reduce the need for active ones. Overall building carbon footprint and energy consumption are reduced through the use of renewable source of energy (geothermic heating and photovoltaic energy) as well as the use of recycled and local materials and rainwater collection.
Luca Peralta 2010
(Dott.ing., March AA, ARB)
Collaborators: S. Gerbino, T.Ricciardi, J.Atoche, R. Fellenbaum, M. Colletta, A. Centroni.
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I like its organic and fluid design. The colors are also excellent – using just a white general color with bright colors as accents. Very pleasing to the eyes.
超级有感觉，大地母亲！