COLOR CONNECTIONS
Primitive Kindergarten Project
Spring 2022 | St. Louis, Missouri
Instructor: Petra Kempf, Amela Parcic
Skills: Rhino 3D, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Woodworking
This project explores how the mechanics of a children’s board game can inform the design of an interactive kindergarten classroom. Through an iterative process, the concepts of play (stacking, embedding, compacting, and movement) were translated into spatial strategies that encourage exploration and engagement. By integrating modularity, verticality, and color theory, the design creates an immersive learning environment that stimulates cognitive development while fostering intuitive navigation.
CHALLENGE
The primary challenge was to develop a kindergarten classroom that extends beyond traditional layouts, creating an environment that encourages play-based learning and active engagement. How can a board game’s mechanics shape the physical experience of space? How can movement and color serve as functional tools for navigation and interaction?
CONCEPT
![Isometric Sections P4 [Recovered]-02.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bb9fda_7da1994d63e84ca78a35ef1780cda6bb~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_653,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Isometric%20Sections%20P4%20%5BRecovered%5D-02.png)
DESIGN
Color played a key role in guiding interaction and reinforcing spatial identity. For example, Yellow was assigned to communal and high-activity areas, including the main learning space, shared bathrooms, a kitchen, and an outdoor courtyard, emphasizing social engagement. Green and Blue were used for transitional and resting spaces, offering visual cues that encourage movement while providing moments of pause.
In addition to its visual and spatial organization, the design integrates interactive elements that support hands-on learning. Elevated platforms extend from the modular blocks, blurring the boundary between exterior and interior spaces and reinforcing a seamless, explorative flow.
The project began with the development of Fox in a Box, a board game that involves stacking and embedding modular blocks within a grid. These actions became the foundation for the spatial framework, creating a dynamic relationship between the built environment and the children’s movement through it. Rather than relying on conventional walls to define spaces, the design uses modular extrusions to establish different zones while maintaining openness and connectivity.
The project began as a single classroom study and gradually expanded into a full kindergarten through a process of repetition, scaling, and spatial refinement. As the design grew, individual classrooms were organized around shared circulation and communal spaces, allowing the building to function as an interconnected system. This progression shifted the work from an academic exercise into a cohesive learning environment responsive to both program and site.
