” …the education of the senses is the first step towards a true understanding of the world…The child should be taught to see himself as a part of the whole, and should learn to appreciate the beauty and harmony of the natural world “

– Dr. Rudolf Steiner(1861-1925), founder of the Waldorf School

beyond the walls:

The design of the Forest House Waldorf School (FHWS) takes clues from how the youths relate themselves to each other and to the world beyond the four walls within a typical classroom.

Similar to a traditional Japanese tea-house, our design aims to raise users’ awareness on the intimate inside/outside relationships. The classrooms feature a combination of high and low windows that act as controlled apertures to the outside world. This allows the children to observe the changing sky and greeneries without being completely distracted. It also allows them to sense the presence of nature.

A central pillar on the ground floor, featuring a giant wooden-etched compass ceiling, arouses the curiosities of the students and reminds them where the true North (Nature) is!   

We have created a series of oval-shaped windows placed randomly between the classrooms and corridors, increasing the playfulness and reinforcing the visual encounter between students of different classes by chance. From the controlled gaze of the high/low windows, to the “unintentional” gaze of the oval openings, the aim of the design is to achieve what Dr. Steiner would have intended: “The child should be taught to see himself (themselves) as a part of the whole…”