Matthew Cornaglia

Thesis in Architectural Design

ARCHITECTURE IN CHILDREN'S INTELLECTUAL GROWTH: Project of a Kindergarten in the neighborhood of "Piedra Roja" - Municipality of Colina (Chile)

Thesis by Matteo Cornaglia

Email: matteocornaglia@libero.it  
POLYTECHNIC OF TURIN (2nd Faculty of Architecture - Master's Degree in Architecture)
PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÒLICA DE CHILE (Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies) 
Speakers: - Paolo Mellano (Italy) / Patricio Schmidt Correa (Chile)
Academic Year 2012 - 2013

In architectural design, form and function must be one, so as to constitute an indivisible whole, where the final design merges aesthetic and formal parameters with clearly functional ones. This work seeks to find the right balance between the challenges of architectural design - spatial and constructive challenges - and the material, structural, bioclimatic, legislative and estimative ones.
The aim of this degree project is to develop the project of a real 100% buildable nursery school, without losing sight of the importance of the natural environment, and therefore of the built environment (architecture), which have a fundamental role in the development of the individual, especially during childhood. The development of intelligence occurs from the triangular relationship between the body of one, the body of another and the object (environment as object). This supposes a dialogue between man and the built environment, which highlights the semiotic importance of the aforementioned object.
The relationship between the child and his environment is presented as a system of communication-meaning (semiotics), which requires the understanding of the figure of the environment as a language. Communication with the medium (environment) therefore depends on how interesting the perception of the aforementioned language is by the child. It is therefore necessary to study in detail the perceptive characteristics of the user of a Nursery School, to establish an architectural language that generates a dialogue and in this way manages to make the building participate actively in the process of intellectual growth.