https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/1987 en-us Giancarlo Mazzanti designs a school in Colombia as both a beacon and a catalyst for an overlooked neighborhood.

]]> 1501-crowning-glory.asp Fri, 16 Jan 2015 12:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7295-lomas-del-pey%C3%A9-school-by-el-equipo-mazzanti Lomas del Peyé School The architect conceived the Lomas del Peyé school as a shaded greenhouse.   Photo © Sergio Gómez Lomas del Peyé School A dramatic screen covers the central courtyard, providing a respite from the scorching Caribbean tem­peratures. Tropical plants dot the interior courtyard and a winding concrete ramp provides circulation among the school’s 49 classrooms.   Photo © Sergio Gómez Lomas del Peyé School From above, the school takes on a honeycomb appearance. This unique shape, like a mosaic, allows for future hexagons to be added as the school expands.   Photo © Sergio Gómez Lomas del Peyé School From afar, the sombrero-like profile is visible from the surrounding community to the wealthy tourist-filled segments of Cartagena.   Photo © Sergio Gómez Lomas del Peyé School Inaugurated in March, the school now accommodates 1,400 students. Before, many of them had to travel outside the Lomas del Peyé neighborhood to get to the nearest school. In addition to a preschool, middle school, and high school, the facility provides programming for community members. The simple classrooms have slatted walls to allow for cooling and views outside.   Photo © Sergio Gómez Lomas del Peyé School Photo © Sergio Gómez 1501-products-briefs.asp Fri, 16 Jan 2015 12:00:00 -0500 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/7019-products-briefs-cool-for-school Product Briefs: Cool for School EZH2O New Models elkay.com   Elkay's EZH2O bottle-filling station has made waves since its inception in 2010. Now the line has been updated to reduce energy use by up to half of the original versions'. The new models can be set to power refrigeration off when the building is closed, and some can send remote filter-change alerts to facility managers. Product Briefs: Cool for School The Ant Farm and Weeping Willow freeplayplaygrounds.com   Tapped to reimagine playground structures for a new company called Free Play, New York'based LTL Architects delivered four sensory experiences. One, the Ant Farm (left) evokes the classic cross section of tunnels by using red tubes suspended within a clear polycarbonate structure; a second, Weeping Willow (right) presents a dense canopy of yellow ropes to climb up, move through, or swing on. Product Briefs: Cool for School Noraplan Eco, New Palette nora.com   Responding to design trends, Nora Systems regularly refreshes the palettes for its flooring products. Most recently, the company introduced a new 16-color lineup'from neutrals to Snapper red and Marlin blue'for its Noraplan Eco line. The 2mm-thick, high-performance rubber flooring provides excellent slip-resistance and is Greenguard certified for low VOC emissions. Product Briefs: Cool for School 80 Series Rim Exit Device Indicator sargentlock.com   Sargent now offers a lock/unlock indicator that can be installed on new or existing 80 Series rim exit devices. Aimed at education facilities, the enhanced security feature clearly displays lock status without the door's having to open, and is housed in the chassis cover with a clear window to protect it from wear. Product Briefs: Cool for School Contemporary Toddler Kitchen, Washer Dryer whitneybros.com   A 110-year-old manufacturer of furniture for early learning, Whitney Brothers creates Greenguard Gold Certified wood pieces that range from storage and seating to imaginative play. The latter includes a new kitchen combo and a washer/dryer unit, both composed of birch laminate with a nontoxic natural finish and made in the U.S. Product Briefs: Cool for School Shift+ vs-network.com   As flexibility is de rigueur in today's learning environments, furniture manufacturers like VS America are stepping up with pieces that can easily and quickly be rearranged. The company's Shift+ series consists of wavy or curved fold-up mobile tables that can be configured for independent study, classroom rows, or team tables. Desks, storage units, and lounge seating are also offered. Product Briefs: Cool for School Recreation 30/45/60 gerflor.com   Gerflor's Recreation resilient-flooring line consists of three performance categories to support different levels of activity. Recreation 30 meets the needs of cafeterias, hallways, and classrooms; 45 is for light recreation and multipurpose rooms; and 60, with a cushion backing, is rated for sports use. All feature a vinyl wear layer. Product Briefs: Cool for School Cut & Compose shawcontractgroup.com   Created with education spaces in mind, this modular carpet collection by Shaw Contract Group presents cut and rotated numbers, letters, and abstract elements. The solution-dyed nylon tiles are Cradle to Cradle Silver certified, and 1.5% of the line's sales is donated to the Center for Green Schools. Product Briefs: Cool for School Resisto Lockers cp-furniture.com   These high-end, durable lockers from CP Furniture Systems feature convex cold-rolled steel doors in vibrant UV- and corrosion-resistant paint colors. Configurations accommodate as few as two lockers in a single frame to as many as 15. The doors can be specified with turning bolts for padlocks or key-operated cylinder, electronic combination, or biometric (fingerprint) locks. Product Briefs: Cool for School Mod Touchless Skin Care kcprofessional.com   Children with germ-ridden hands can get a quick shot of fragrance-free foam cleanser from Kimberly-Clark's Mod sensor-based skin-care dispensers. Now available in a sleek faux stainless-steel finish, the dispensers utilize sealed refills'each good for 2,000 shots'to reduce the chances of bacterial contamination.