The Looking Glass
Spring Quarter, 2016
Advisor: Kelle Brooks
Advisor: Kelle Brooks
The Looking Glass classroom, proposed at Grover Beach Elementary School in California, aims to provide a dynamic space to foster healthy educational development. The mirrored classroom plans are designed to be miniature ecosystems that each class maintains. A variety of spatial configurations allow for both group and individual learning. A separated storage room keeps clutter out of the classroom to promote an educational environment free of distractions. The students move through the storage room and out into a private outdoor space. This kind of floor plan encourages children to cross through a natural environment before entering the classroom. This direct interaction with nature on a day to day basis creates a healthy routine and has the potential to reduce anxiety and hyperactivity in young students. Today’s children spend most of their time indoors, so this design is the first step to helping them find a balance in their lives. This classroom is inspired by nature and sparks a new curiosity for the outdoors while also serving an educational purpose by bringing creating a dialogue between the classroom environment and the threshold that separates children from nature.
