This laboratory school was envisioned to provide unique learning opportunities for the college’s child study and early childhood education students, while providing a progressive curriculum based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy. This strategic renovation expanded the existing Goodwin University Early Childhood Magnet School, which our team completed in 2013, to grow the school to serve students in grades one through five. An addition, situated between the two buildings, connects them to create one 52,800 sf school.
With a gallery to celebrate the students’ work, the renovation has transformed the former Willowbrook School, originally constructed in 1954, into an engaging and collaborative learning environment which houses administrative offices, a music room, project center & multipurpose room. The multipurpose room includes an operable partition which allows for further flexibility for student and faculty activities alike.
The color schemes and design choices are modeled after the original Goodwin School project, which is based off of the Reggio Emilia philosophy. As a result, tiles and sculptures with nature motifs such as leaves and trees, animate the interior and exterior of the building to highlight this concept and bring the two buildings together.
