San Miniato is renowned both in Italy and worldwide for its excellence in creating early childhood care facilities. The Chiocciola is the most recent. The new building has simple lines that blend in with the houses in the surrounding town of Roffia.
The layout of the space is innovative even compared to the most advanced models of educational services. It is a single open space, not separated into single rooms but distributed into well-defined areas that remain open and in communication with the rest of the space.
All of the interior spaces for the children have a close relationship with the outdoor landscape and with its main elements. The loggia extends the interior space into the garden and frames the city’s symbol, the ancient stronghold. In the workshop, a recess in the internal volume and a glazed wall allow the children to work – inside or outside – in full view of the old town’s bell tower.
The southern loggia offers a protected play area outdoors and is used to regulate incoming sunlight. The large skylights bring light into the more internal areas and ensure proper ventilation.
The building is made using X-Lam panels and powered with photovoltaic panels.