The new Montalto preschool center takes the place of a pre-existing kindergarten.
It is located in a raised position in a beautiful oak forest. The volume has a simple geometry. The floor plan is rectangular in shape, with recesses along the longer sides. The roof has two asymmetrical pitches: the one facing north-east is narrower, the one facing south-west is wider to support photovoltaic panels.
The entrance is on the northeast front, in a median position. On the right is the kindergarten, on the left the nursery. The organization of the spaces takes into account that the preschool will have dual management: state for the kindergarten, municipal for the nursury. Therefore, two parts are clearly distinguished, separated and connected by the central rooms, common to the two facilities.
The classrooms face south. They are organized into several areas marked by structural panels. A continuous porch extends them toward the woods.
The central part of the building is the common space. It is the “square,” the heart of the preschool, the place where all the children meet. In one part, some wooden steps form a small theater and allow children to look at the forest from an elevated position.
All interior rooms are warm and materic, characterized by Xlam wood structural panels, which above the height of 2.50 m will be left exposed.
The project is included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP), launched after the pandemic of 2020-21.