The new nursery school of the Municipality of Romano di Lombardia, intended for children aged 0 to 2 years, is conceived as a spatial device designed to accompany the earliest processes of growth and learning, positioning architecture as an active component in shaping the educational experience. In early childhood, space does not merely contain activities; it plays a decisive role in defining relationships, shaping self-perception, and fostering an openness toward the external world. From this perspective, the project interprets the educational theme through a clear and legible spatial layout, in which each environment is designed to promote autonomy, orientation, and a sense of security, integrating pedagogical sensitivity, spatial quality, and perceptual well-being into a single coherent vision.
The building is inserted into the landscape of the lower Bergamo plain through a measured and reassuring horizontal gesture, where the composition is defined by a volumetric subtraction along the southern façade. This move generates a broad and continuous opening of the communal space toward the courtyard, transforming it into a natural extension of indoor activities. The relationship between interior and exterior is therefore not episodic but structural: the courtyard becomes an integral part of the educational pathway, a place where the natural dimension is steadily incorporated into daily experience. Light, seasonal changes, chromatic variation, and the acoustic qualities of the outdoor environment become active elements, enriching perception and stimulating children’s sensory and motor development.
This continuity between building and landscape is reinforced by the continuous perimeter portico, which extends along all façades, defining a habitable and protected threshold. Beyond contributing to the overall architectural identity, it plays a significant environmental role by filtering natural light and ensuring comfort under varying climatic conditions. For children, the portico represents an intermediate space—a transitional device where inside and outside interpenetrate, creating an environment conducive to free play, social interaction, and exploration, while maintaining a sense of protection.
At the heart of the building lies the central communal space, conceived as a place of interaction and sharing around which the classrooms are organized. These are understood as open and permeable units within a spatial system that moves beyond the logic of traditional compartmentalization. The layout abandons the corridor-based scheme in favor of a continuous spatial configuration, in which the central communal area acts as the organizing element of the entire composition. Visual permeability between the different spaces, achieved through large glazed surfaces, strengthens this approach, fostering a constant dialogue between activities and contributing to a shared sense of belonging within the educational community.
In this context, transparency acquires a value that goes beyond its physical dimension, becoming a pedagogical tool capable of supporting inclusion and relational dynamics. Children can perceive the presence of others, observe ongoing activities, and develop a spontaneous curiosity toward their surroundings. At the same time, educators benefit from a condition of distributed oversight that does not compromise spatial quality; on the contrary, it enhances it through the visual and perceptual continuity of the environments.
Attention to construction detail, both exterior and interior, plays a central role in the project, translating pedagogical intentions into material and technological terms. The building envelope presents itself as a controlled and refined surface, clad in white aluminum sheet, whose vertical texture interacts with natural light, generating a continuous vibration of reflections and shadows that shift throughout the day. This dynamic behavior establishes an ongoing dialogue with the context, giving the building a presence that is both measured and distinctive.
The perimeter portico is articulated by a sequence of vertical sun-shading slats that function as both a visual and climatic filter. As one moves through them, these elements produce a rhythmic fragmentation of the perception of the landscape, transforming vision into a dynamic experience. For children, this results in a near-sequential perception of the external environment, which is continuously recomposed through movement and observation.
Inside, the architectural language adopts a more intimate and material character. Birch wood, used for internal frames and integrated furnishings, defines the atmosphere of the spaces, introducing a tactile and chromatic quality that helps create a warm and domestic environment. The large openings between classrooms and the central space are framed by deep reveals, conceived as inhabitable spatial thresholds capable of accommodating informal uses and moments of pause. Within these thicknesses, micro-environments emerge that encourage spontaneous interaction and the formation of relationships.
Particular attention has been given to the acoustic dimension, a critical aspect in spaces dedicated to early childhood. Exposed wood-fiber acoustic ceiling panels help control reverberation, ensuring more comfortable and contained sound conditions. Their natural texture integrates with the technical lighting elements, achieving a balance between performance and perceptual quality.
Overall, the project configures a unified and coherent environment in which each component—from the definition of the envelope to the management of light, from material selection to construction detailing— contributes to an architecture conceived as an experience. Not merely a functional container, but a spatial device capable of accompanying early childhood experiences with care and sensitivity, creating an educational landscape in which growth, relationship, and discovery find a shared dimension.
"A sensitive architecture conceived for the lives of its young users, in which light, material, and space interact in a carefully calibrated balance, gently accompanying the discovery of the world, transforming every threshold into an experience and every interaction into an opportunity for growth." Remo Capitanio.
