Gateway to Education

Roca, Nebraska

A long-established Montessori school located near Lincoln, Nebraska needed additional space to accommodate a growing student population. Prairie Studio, in collaboration with The Architectural Partnership, were hired to design a new dynamic entry that helps to create a sense of place and anticipation for students entering the learning environment. One of the primary design challenges was to integrate roof structures between new and the existing L shaped gable roofs. This was accomplished by careful review of the existing roof, completing multiple section drawings to study how the roofs would integrate, and collaborating with the contractor to finalize a solution. The new addition supports learning by recognizing the importance of how children gather and process information. The design was kept simple and the space skillfully scaled to make children feel welcome and safe, all of which follows the beautiful principles of Dr. Montessori’s vision of “the prepared environment”.