I've got a buddy who taught high school in Brooklyn. Guy would regale me with horror stories of students throwing teachers down staircases, that kind of thing. The way he described it, he sounded less like a teacher and more like a prison guard--half of the job was wrangling the kids into attendance (and taking the stairs while alert).
In contrast, a Dutch high school in Zoetermeer decided they "wanted to give students their own escape area." The result? A rooftop lounge, with "reef benches" designed by Dutch firm Remy & Veenhuizen.
Contrary to all expectations the wooden structure isn't computer generated but a result of experiments with spatial models.
By stacking their materials in a certain way the designers discovered a method that allowed the slats to move slowly while the construction as a whole still remains solid. Thus, the wooden skeletons look like organic, almost living elements, offering a warm contrast to the school building.
Even the high schools over there have better design! And a rooftop lounge at my buddy's old school? No teacher in their right mind would go near the edge.
via daily tonic
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