The Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School is the first interdistrict magnet school built in Connecticut that provides full day instruction for children ages 3 – 5 years. The school’s partner-in-curriculum is the local 4-H Education Center at the historic Auer Farm. TSKP’s building design reflects the agricultural theme and the history of the farmland site. In addition to meeting LEED Silver requirements, the design arranges three classroom clusters around a central courtyard in a unique organic-form. The segmentation of the building breaks the 48,000 sq ft structure into smaller components reminiscent of farm sheds. A working greenhouse in the lobby, faces the courtyard and supports year-round plantings. Custom-designed playscapes provide three different learning areas for dramatic play, physical adventure, and gardening.
The 18 classrooms are designed with the recommended variety of scale and form, shaped by non-parallel walls with both low and high ceiling areas. Each classroom is equipped with a speech amplification system, smart board, observation window and radiant floor heating. The use of construction techniques found in residential scale construction resulted in a cost effective solution for this unusual footprint. The building exterior is a composition of a white cedar rain screen and green slate, both proven for their low maintenance requirements and durability. |
