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| The teachers were given a choice of three concepts that took orientation, use and individual requirements into account. All the designs featured a two-tone concept with definite contrasts. The choice was between classroom 1 in red / blue, classroom 2 in blue / green and classroom 3 in green / yellow. |
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So that learning is really enjoyable
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Exemplary design: Primary school Oranienbaum goes for colour
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Since the Oranienbaum/Saxony/Anhalt primary school was given its successful facelift in early 2008 it has achieved a new splendour. An appropriate colour concept, in addition to technical refurbishment, was required in this instance.
The head teacher Monika Paul and project manager Dirk Droth tackled this task together with colour designer Eva Helterhoff and Caparol’s sales representative Torsten Walther. The plan was to implement different designs on the ground and first floor of the two-winged building to make it easier for the pupils to find their way round and at the same time to identify with “their” floor. The result was a concept that contained elements of colour both to unify and to separate various areas. The unifying elements include the same wall base throughout, with its rugged coating of orange Capadecor plaster and a bluish-grey edging. A great deal of attention was devoted to the elaborate door leaves, all of which are now in the same two shades of grey. However, the colours on the main walls and the door frames are different on each floor. A very subtle shade of green was chosen for the walls on ground floor, which features a light, vaulted ceiling. This is complemented by deep red door frames that resonate visually with the orange of the wall base. The cool grey of the vaulted arches matches the existing flooring, the wall-base edging and the door leaves, as they are all from the same colour family. All pupils, teachers and visitors entering the building through the hallway on the ground floor now encounter a welcoming and friendly atmosphere with balanced contrasts of warm and cool shades.
Access to the upper storey is via staircases located at the ends of the building. The separation of wall colours between the floors is achieved with end walls in a shade of blue. The orange wall base, the unifying element on both floors, provides a pleasing contrast to the deep blue door frames on the upper storey. The main walls here have been painted a sunny yellow.
The colours used for the corridor walls are reflected in the classrooms, which were also the work of colour designers Martina Lehmann and Eva Helterhoff. The teachers were each offered a choice of three variants, all based on a standardised basic principle. As a result, each room features one colour on all the main wall areas – a light yellow, green or blue. One wall is accentuated using Aquafloc technology to create a colour balance in a contrasting material. The white ceilings have been extended downwards into the upper area of the wall so that the rooms appear less high to the young pupils. A band of colour in the same shade as the accent wall separates this from the shade used on the walls. Because of the incident light, this emphasised wall area is opposite the windows and matches the floor covering in each room. The strong colour of the linoleum flooring creates a visually sound base. The two shades used for the door frames on the two storeys harmonise with each of the colourways in the rooms, thereby creating an elegant link between the classrooms and the corridor. Design options 1 and 3 were particularly – and equally – popular. |
Colour concept meets with enthusiasm
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A great deal of time and effort went into creating the colour concept, which was simultaneously presented to the teaching staff and the project management team and met with great enthusiasm. The distinction between the floors in the corridor areas to facilitate orientation and the individual choices of classroom concepts were well received. The colour concept was implemented in several stages. Construction work was carried out during vacation periods and in school time. “Of course building work places enormous strains on school life as a whole, but once the first corridor areas and classrooms had been completed it quickly became evident that it was definitely worth the effort.” The pupils were very interested in the progress being made and enjoyed taking possession of their new rooms. The identification with their own classroom was much greater than expected. Even former pupils come to visit and are amazed to see what has happened to their “old” primary school, said Mrs. Paul, the head teacher.
This shows that not only technical modernisation, but good design in particular plays a major part in making students and teachers feel valued and motivated. |
Photography: Caparol Farben Lacke Bautenschutz/Martin Duckek |
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