Schools and new learning spaces in Milan. An educational experience

The article reflects on recent models for pedagogy and their impact or direct connection to educational space, from the architectural design point of view. It starts by framing the present-day situation of the existing schools in Milan, mostly resulting from legal requirements which date back to the 1970s, resulting now in a great number of obsolete educational facilities. Recent programs and educational policies, both at national and local levels, are presented to frame the new programme “Inventing Schools”, a collaborative partnership between the Municipality of Milan and Politecnico di Milano, intended to explore and apply the new pedagogical models to the design of the new educational facilities for the future in Milan, thereby intended to replace or refurbish the (now) problematic old schools. Dealing with students of the second year of the Bachelor Programme in Architecture, the Primary School at via Massaua was considered adequate and thus selected among the twenty-three available case-studies in Milan. The existing school is intended to be fully demolished and replaced, therefore attention is focused on the plot characteristics and potential, especially its location in the urban tissue, facing Piazzale Tripoli, a public green space also requiring deep requalification. The quality enhancement of the surrounding public spaces, namely the connection to Piazzale Tripoli, intended to turn the new school into the neighbourhood fulcrum, in the sense of a community centre open to other users after schooling hours and over the weekends, becomes a design leitmotiv for the new master plans that students were required to develop. Important concepts such as shared streets and reduced speed areas are discussed and present in several urban design proposals, as well as the importance of green elements in public space. In architectural terms, different pedagogic models are analysed and translated into the spatial solutions of students’ proposals, confronted with theoretical models but also twith remarkable case-studies and architects of reference, such as Herman Hertzberger and his concept of “learning streets”, a reoccurring source of debate and inspiration in the Design Studio. Finally, in a broader sense, the school as civic centre with auditorium, gym and library open to the neighbourhood, expands the educational space to society and the city, implying the creation of an inclusive and friendly environment both inside and outside. This requires a clear articulation between safety solutions designed to protect the very young pupils and at the same time a coherent and autonomous access to welcome adults and other users from the community to share the cultural and sporting facilities of the school, avoiding double investments from the municipality but, of paramount importance, strengthening the sense of sharing, the sense of belonging to a social community.