Kindergarten!!

Academic Spaces (Maroon), Play Spaces (Teal), Administrative Spaces (Pink)

The academic spaces are at the heart of the school and are close together so that there is a truly academic feel to that section of the school. Surrounding them are the play spaces, which allow students to enjoy themselves. These spaces are distinct areas for children to run around and learn through play instead of an "Academic" setting. The administrative spaces seem to be towards the road and are on the left hand side of the school, separating the learning and playing from the running of the school.

The buildings at the kindergarten are very homey, which is intended to reduce the stress that younger students may feel while they are out of their homes and separated from their primary caregiver for the first time. This is achieved through the use of locally available materials that mimic the ones used in the homes of Auroville. The building is actually a set of buildings, and therefore lacks a specific façade. In my view, this makes the school less intimidating, because it does not form a prison like continuous wall that many schools do.

The open flow floor plan for the school encourages interaction, but also allows separation, depending upon the individual needs of the students and teachers. The spreading of the independent structures gives the school a welcoming and calm feel, with plenty of open space to prevent crowding. The large classroom spaces give children the freedom to make the most of their playing activities, allowing each to have enough space to direct the movie in his or her head.

The curriculum at the school appears to be very play focused, perhaps more so than the average kindergarten, according to the annual report on the Auroville website. The spread out nature of the kindergarten, along with the variety of room types, promotes a non-focused experiential based style of learning.