By applying Hundertwasser's 'Window Right' philosophy to the windows of the Carrington Street site, this project transforms sterile glass into vibrant, personalised artworks that align with the Environment pillar to foster a deep sense of student ownership and belonging.
Design Manifesto
Halve It Component:
My design project focuses heavily on the Environment of our school’s framework, with a secondary link to the Environment pillar. The environment is surroundings and the conditions created from this.
School Context:
My school has Windows that are dirty, not functional and don't let in enough natural light in. They are simple, plain and don’t add any features to the building. However, there is an abundance of them on the Carrington Street site.
Liveability
Walking into a bright colourful, calm space boosts mood, reduces stress, and enhances social cohesion. Letting kids work together on art projects gives them a chance to share skills, stories, and connect. This allows them to gain a sense of belonging and who they are as a person, and student, to Living School. Certain colours can affect the child's mood, cool colours tend to support emotional comfort, and relaxation. While warm colours stimulate energy and excitement. Different colours and art can bring students and communities together by acting as a universal, non-verbal language that goes beyond culture.
Hundertwasser
Hundertwasser believed the windows were the building's eyes. He believed every tenant had the right to decorate, and paint their window as far as their arms could reach. There were no straight lines, or identical symmetrical windows. He designed windows of different shapes, sizes, and alignments. He also promoted trees and vegetation growing out of the windows and balconies. This allowed humans and nature to live equally, harmoniously, and let nature reclaim urban spaces. Many of his window frames were bright, colourful, and had unevenly broken ceramic tiles that looked like they were pieced together by hand. Instead of sharp corners, the windows often had curved edges and embedded into curved edges. Window boxes and ledges were built directly into the design, to foster lush vines, foliage, and flowers.
These designs would be good for our school windows, as they are needing much more colours and creativity. The classrooms at Carrington St are a bit dull at the moment, and letting Living School students create whatever they want on a window would enhance their sense of belonging and engagement in their classrooms, and day to day activities at school. Having plants grow around the windows would be great, this would create fresher air, and a greener environment. I also feel this would make classroom spaces not so caved and cramped. Students could also reuse materials that have been thrown away, this would be a great way for the student to bring the three R’s, reduce reuse and recycle into their classrooms.
The Problem
How can we increase the belonging of our new space by modelling Hundertwasser's Window Tenants philosophy?
Our Sustainable Solution
My design is the window designs. This will be located at the new building in Carrington St, replacing the old windows with eco friendly colours, art, and reusable objects.
The Window features different colours, shapes, sizes, and arrangements. There will be different art
designs on the windows that the students will be able to design. We could reuse anything from the Carrionton St building that's been left around or soon to be dumped. We would use all sorts of things like eco-friendly paint, tiles, wood, anything broken, or forgotten that can be turned into something meaningful again.
When a student walks into their classroom, they will feel calm, relaxed, and ready to learn. The different colors will regulate the students, and having something they all worked on will make them happy and feel like they belong. The students won't be overwhelmed or stressed when they enter the classroom.
This project allows students to feel like they are a part of the school the kids built, they can help bring their designs and thoughts to life. Everyone would get together and design, create, connect, and belong, helping build their school. The kids will feel proud, and involved, for they will be leaving a legacy on the eyes of the school the kids built.
The materials used for this project will be eco friendly, and sustainable. The students will help upcycle left over materials and abandoned objects. Students can bring things that are a part of them, or anything that shows who they are as a person.
The Window design is a legacy students will be leaving, a legacy from proud children who came together to build the school the kids built.