How to build a community through the recovery of a school building: the case of the G. Binotti Institute

Current situation: school entrance

In the autumn of 2022, we were contacted by several teachers from the Primary School of Serra Sant’Abbondio and Frontone, two municipalities in the Pesaro hinterland with around one thousand inhabitants. These are small communities that were severely affected by an exceptionally intense flooding event, which had significant consequences on the territory, although not directly on the school building.

The request

The request for consultancy was aimed at creating a project for the aesthetic and functional improvement of some internal and external spaces of the school building which is part of the “G.Binotti” complex, in order to significantly optimize their use with focus on some specific environments such as: S.T.E.A.M. classroom, library, entrance and external space.

Envisioning a low-budget intervention, we chose to reuse and recycle the materials already present as much as possible, giving a new shape to the existing spaces.

Ultimately, it was an example of shared inter- and multi-disciplinary design on a public building. A project of which we are very proud, because it demonstrates the possibility of intelligent and profitable collaboration between public and private with the sole aim of increasing the well-being of users, and therefore of the entire community.

An example that reveals the profound social and innovative value behind the MEM corporate project.

Project philosophy and team structure: the working group

Based on the material collected during the first inspections and, being a primary school, we decided to involve 2 Montessori educators, 1 interior designer and 1 greenery designer. The working group thus composed met 4 times in total, mainly online, working in a fluid and open manner.

Each professional gave his contribution thinking mainly about the well-being of girls and boys.

We therefore collectively decided to base the underlying philosophy of the entire project on two precise guidelines:

Putting the users at the center (first and foremost the children, then the teaching staff and A.T.A.)
Create a project shared between all stakeholders: students, teaching staff, A.T.A. staff, parents and local administrators, so as to create permanent added value for the small community that lives in these places and which could use some of the spaces undergoing restyling.

We subjected the boys and girls, the A.T.A. staff. and teachers inclusive tests to understand everyone’s needs and expectations.

Our peculiarity: the shared project

As widely highlighted, the entire project was structured in a synergistic way between the MEM professionals involved and the other interested parties, in the name of integration and support for the growth of all those who use the school complex: we subjected a group of girls, boys, A.T.A. staff. and teachers to inclusive tests that allowed us to actually understand their needs and correct the aim of our design.

In involving them, we allowed each and every one to express themselves according to the language that was most congenial to them: drawings, oral or written stories, dry answers, etc. Thus inspired, each and every one of us was able to give their best in proposing further solutions: the educators expressed their opinion on colours, surfaces, arrangement and choice of materials for boys and girls; the designers for the implementation of internal and external innovations.

The project presented is aimed at the growth, integration, learning, autonomy and well-being of all users of the spaces, through the creation of harmonious and caring environments.

Working criteria: the “3 R’s”

As mentioned previously, much of the project focused on the reuse and recycling of existing spaces and materials: selecting and changing the arrangement of furniture and materials, enhancing external light sources, ensuring good air recycling, inserting natural elements inside, to obtain spaces of well-being.

By operating in this way, we were able to enjoy various advantages: creation of a sustainable budget, the recovery and reuse of existing furnishings, reducing waste and avoiding further consumption of land.

In fact, we were inspired by the “3R principle”: Reuse, Recycle and Reduce.

The substantial intellectual consultancy was presented at the end of July both to the clients and to the local municipal administration and obtained unanimous consent.

Since this is an intellectual and planning type of consultancy, the clients have chosen to start a search for funds in order to achieve what was envisaged on paper: the project is therefore in a start-up phase.

Consulting according to the #MEMMethod: try it too!

In the part of the project dedicated to green spaces we have thus studied every possible solution to generate inclusiveness and freedom of use for them; but also freedom of control and interaction with children, for adults. In short, the school has been redesigned as a regenerative place for everyone, with a unifying effect for the entire reference community.

This is important because bringing wellbeing through a beautiful and attractive meeting place literally means repopulating it and contributing to recreating a community, perhaps attracting people from neighboring municipalities as well.

In this way we give people back a sense of belonging that will make that community stronger and more compact, which is fundamental especially in places that have seen significant decline over the years.

This is the social value of MEM’s work which is new for Italy, but not in the rest of Europe and the world.

This work structure is absolutely reproducible for any public space and in particular for any school building of any order and level.

The methodology and consultancy studied and personalized to the individual specific case are the plus that MEM is able to offer.

The underlying philosophy of our projects will always be to create harmonious and well-being spaces through the latest scientific discoveries of the various disciplines involved, through the professionals we will gradually identify.

If you intend or need to redesign personal or high-traffic spaces from a new and far-sighted perspective, send an email to giorgia@memlab.it, tell us your needs and request a consultation.