P. E. A. C. E.

Pre-School Environment and Community Education

Thesis Proposal

Adrienne Lattuca

Thesis Proposal P.E.A.C.E. A Montessori School

Goals and Objectives A. Lattuca page 2 of 7

During Thesis I wish to pursue an independent study researching non-conventional methods of education and how architecture can affect the learning process. I wish to design a Montessori School for children ages three to six in the town of Pearl River, New York. I wish to learn about the teaching philosophies of Maria Montessori. Teaching styles should influence the architecture of the space in a way that will best aid the student. This research will help me to better understand the differences and similarities between Montessori teaching styles and traditional way of teaching. I am currently going for my masters in education and believe that this thesis exploration will both help me understand education better through the eyes of an architect and also better understand architecture through the eyes of a teacher. I also wish to study sustainable design philosophies. I am hopeful that through careful study I can incorporate sustainable design idea into the P.E.A.C.E. plan. I not only want to implement green design ideas but I wish to use green design idea as a way of teaching the students with in the school and the community in which the building will be placed. I will be taking green design a bit further by treating my project as an actual project and follow the LEED point system. About the Montessori way of teaching:

• “We have clearly shown that a child has a need to observe, to reflect, to learn, to concentrate, to isolate himself, and also from time to time to suspend his activities in silence. And we have done this so clearly that we can say with all confidence that the idea that a small child is in a state of rest when he is outside a place suited for his education is erroneous. Rather, it is our duty to direct a child’s activities, sparing him unless efforts which would dissipate his energies, divert his instinctive search for knowledge, and be a frequent cause of nervous disorders and hindrance to his growth. The education of even a very small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school but for life.” (Maria Montessori)

• “Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.” (NATMA)

• “The Montessori preschool classroom is a ‘living room’ for children. Children choose their work from among the self-correcting materials displayed on open shelves, and they work in specific work areas. Over a period of time, the children develop into a "normalized community," working with high concentration and few interruptions. Normalization is the process whereby a child moves from being undisciplined to self-disciplined, from disordered to ordered, from

Thesis Proposal P.E.A.C.E. A Montessori School

Goals and Objectives A. Lattuca page 3 of 7

distracted to focused, through work in the environment. The process occurs through repeated work with materials that captivate the child's attention. For some children this inner change may take place quite suddenly, leading to deep concentration. In the Montessori preschool, academic competency is a means to an end, and the manipulatives are viewed as ‘materials for development.’”

o “Practical life enhances the development of task organization and cognitive order through care of self, care of the environment, exercises of grace and courtesy, and coordination of physical movement. “

o “Mathematics makes use of manipulative materials to enable the child to internalize concepts of number, symbol, sequence, operations, and memorization of basic facts.”

o “The sensorial area enables the child to order, classify, and describe sensory impressions in relation to length, width, temperature, mass, color, pitch, etc.”

o “Language arts includes oral language development, written expression, reading, the study of grammar, creative dramatics, and children's literature. Basic skills in writing and reading are developed through the use of sandpaper letters, alphabet cut-outs, and various presentations allowing children to link sounds and letter symbols effortlessly and to express their thoughts through writing.”

o “Cultural activities expose the child to basics in geography, history, and life sciences. Music, art, and movement education are part of the integrated cultural curriculum. “

Overall Goals and Objectives:

• To create a small (75 to 100 student) Montessori School for pre-school level students (ages three years to six years) • To include sustainability design ideas in the formation of the Montessori School • To show how the pieces of education (for the community and the students) will fit together like a puzzle to create

peaceful place and a complete picture of learning and knowledge Community Goals/Objectives

• To teach the community about the Montessori way of teaching o Through the open school plan o Through community activities that explain Montessori teaching o Through a teaching/learning relationship between the students in Franklin Elementary School and P.E.A.C.E. o Through a teaching/learning relationship between the students in Pearl River High School (senior interested in

pursuing education in as a career) and P.E.A.C.E. • To teach the community about sustainable design elements

o Through engaging architectural elements such as a roof top garden o Through understanding the LEED point system o Through a recycling program

Thesis Proposal P.E.A.C.E. A Montessori School

Key Design Issues, Pattern Language, and Site Background A. Lattuca page 4 of 7

Key Design Issues • Three classroom school for pre-school students

o Each classroom will exit into a central courtyard in which the school students enter and exit at the beginning and end of the day o Each classroom will also have access to a safe backyard space o Each classroom will be zones per activities but not by walls but through teaching elements such as colors and textures

• This school will also provide a community space o It will be a place for local non-profit groups to gather for monthly meetings o It will be a place to teach the community the Montessori way of teaching o It will be a place to teach about sustainable design idea and how to implement them in the home

Pattern Language: “most of the wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by people” (Alexander). It is important to me to learn how to balance architecture and nature for the scale of the end user and in this case that would be children. The following Pattern Language items are most helpful for my project:

• #18 Network of Learning • # 51 Green Streets • # 57 Children in the City • # 60 Accessible Green • # 68 Connected Play • # 69 Public Outdoor Room

• # 75 The Family • # 115 Courtyards Which Live • #118 Roof Gardens • # 159 Light on Two Sides of Every Room • # 168 Connection to the Earth • # 203 Child Care

Site Background: Pearl River New York

• Pearl River is located thirty minutes north-west of New York City • Pearl River is on the New York / New Jersey boarder • Pearl River School District’s five schools are scattered throughout the suburban hamlet of Pearl River characterized by

our quaint Central Avenue and town park • In 2000 Pearl River had a population of approximately 15,500 persons which made Pearl River the largest hamlet in

Orangetown. • Pearl River has one high school with one-thousand students (grades eight to twelve), one middle school (grades five

to seven) with seven hundred students, and three elementary schools (kindergarten to fourth grade) each with three-hundred and fifty students.

• A Montessori School is exactly what this small community needs for there are no local public pre-schools

Thesis Proposal P.E.A.C.E. A Montessori School

Site Location A. Lattuca page 5 of 7

Site Location for P.E.A.C.E. School

• P.E.A.C.E. will be placed in the center of the town, next to the fire house

• Across Franklin Avenue and the town Library

• Behind the town library is one of the towns’ elementary schools: Franklin Avenue Elementary

Thesis Proposal P.E.A.C.E. A Montessori School

Master Bubble Diagram A. Lattuca page 6 of 7

Master Bubble Diagram:

P.E.A.C.E. school will house three classrooms (yellow) and one multi-purpose building (red). This multi purpose building will house all school administration activities and special subject areas along with a space dedicated for community education and community non-profit groups to meet. Each unit will be an individual building connected by corridors (blue). Each classroom space has a community front yard area and private backyard areas.

Thesis Proposal P.E.A.C.E. A Montessori School

Summary of Spaces and Work Schedule A. Lattuca page 7 of 7

Summary of Spaces

Classroom Activities 750 square feet

Storage 50 square feet

Bathrooms (one adult and two children) 120 square feet

Teacher’s office 100 square feet

Classroom Subtotal 920 square feet * three classrooms 2760 square feet

Administration Movement Room 2,000 square feet

Community Space 1,000 square feet

Administration 1,000 square feet

Outdoor Spaces For private classroom 500 square feet

Courtyard 1,000 square feet

Subtotal Without outdoor spaces 6760 square feet

Grossing factor 1.4

Building gross square footage 9464 square feet

# Week Task 1 June 25th to July 1st Issue Proposal

2-10 July 2nd to September 2nd Revise Teacher/Student/Parent survey, Review surveys with Karol Williams, Send out Surveys to Montessori school across the US, Research Montessori teaching Methods, Case Studies, Compute any responses to surveys

11 – 12 September 3rd to September 16th Revise existing program from Programming class 13 September 17th to September 23rd Issue Program

14 - 20 September 24th to November 11th First Class with advisor, Adjust and Modify master bubble diagram, Develop spaces in plan format, Develop spaces in 3-d model format, Revise plans and models per meeting with advisor, Schematic elevations and sections, Start to develop site connections

21 November 12th to November 18th Group Review 22 - 28 November 19th to January 6th Revise Plans, Revise Plan / Present LEED point system, Develop sections and elevations, Revise 3-d models, Compute any

responses to surveys 29 January 7th to January 13th Prepare for Mid Presentation 30 January 14th to January 20th Mid Presentation

31 - 32 January 21st to February 3rd Stewardson Competition 33 - 39 February 4th to March 24th Revise Plans, Revise Sections, Revise Elevations, Revise Master Plan, Start base models for Thesis Review 40 - 41 March 25th to April 7th Detailing – interior perspectives & computer 3-d model, Detailing – LEED point system 42 - 44 April 8th to April 28th Thesis Review Preparation: Layout of Boards, Thesis Review Preparation: Complete AutoCAD work, Thesis Review Preparation:

Complete 3-d work 45 April 29th to May 5th Thesis Review Preparation