happy friday y'all!! i love weekends because they are so relaxing, and i get inspired to work on projects that i don't have time for during the week :) this morning in one of my studios we completed a design charette by creating a "global classroom" that would serve as a prototype for the future. (fun fact: charette actually means teacart! when participants would finish their drawings a proctor would collect their designs by pushing his teacart down the aisle.)  i always get excited about new projects, and so i started thinking of fun and innovative things i could do with a global classroom :)

 

i was looking for inspiration when i came across this article in metropolis magazine. it's about a middle school in east harlem, new york that is really thinking outside the box!what inspired me was how the architects looked at schools and classrooms in innovative new ways... the challenge of any design project is figuring out what works and what what new ideas could change for the better. i love how the architects took an institution and made it into a place of learning and education. i was especially fascinated with how much open space and light was used in the designs of the classrooms. it's been proven that natural elements, such as sunlight, can help brain development so that's a major benefit of the school! the design of the east harlem school is fantastic, and it's these kinds of projects that always inspire me to be more creative in my own designs :)

here's the link to the article:
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20100113/the-pride-of-east-103rd-street

check it out and let me know what y'all think!!