About

BIG and WeWork’s colla­bo­ra­tion and belief in crea­ti­vity mani­fests through the first WeGrow school in New York City. The inter­ac­tive lear­ning land­scape supports a conscious approach to educa­tion, nurtu­ring the growth, spirit and mind of the 21st century child. The 10,000 ft² (929m²) lear­ning universe for children aged three to nine is located in WeWork’s HQ in Manhattan’s Chelsea neigh­bor­hood.

Classroom + learning landscape

The design starts from the premise of a school universe at the level of the child. A field of super-elliptic objects forms a lear­ning land­scape that’s dense and rational – yet free and fluid. Modular class­rooms, tree houses and a vertical farm promote an inclu­sive and colla­bo­ra­tive lear­ning envi­ron­ment. Acou­stic clouds, natural mate­rials and neutral colors create a calm setting for the child’s focused study.

A field of spaces with a variety of func­tions allow children to move freely throug­hout the day and to learn from the envi­ron­ment around them and each other. The lear­ning land­scape encou­rages colla­bo­ra­tion by empha­si­zing trans­pa­rent and communal spaces, which comprise more than half of the school: four class­rooms, flexible work­shops, commu­nity space, multi-purpose studio, art studio, music room and other play­scapes support the energy of crea­tion and toge­ther­ness.

Shelves

Most of the parti­tions inside the school are shelves raised to the level of the child, allo­wing natural light to reach deep inside the buil­ding. Three diffe­rent shel­ving levels for each age group curve occa­sio­nally to create various acti­vity pockets and give a feeling of comfort, safety and commu­nity, while allo­wing teachers to have full perspec­tive of the space at all times.

Above, acou­stic clouds made of felt reflect the diffe­rent patterns in nature – finger­print, coral, land­scape and moon – and illu­mi­nate with Ketra bulbs that shift in color and inten­sity based on the time of day.

Learning stations

Each lear­ning station within WeGrow includes furni­ture with details and mate­rials carefully desi­gned by BIG to opti­mize the educa­tional envi­ron­ment: modular class­rooms promote move­ment and colla­bo­ra­tion, puzzle tables and chairs manu­fac­tured by Bendark Studios come in kid and parent sizes to offer equal perspec­tives, and the vertical garden with tiles made in Switz­er­land by Laufen house diffe­rent plants depen­ding on shade expo­sure.

The mush­room shelves and magic meadow create a calm setting for a more focused study while reading hives form an immersive library for an organic lear­ning envi­ron­ment.

Lobby

Teachers and parents share the lobby with the children, where a playful felt nook forms from the smooth cut out in the walls to serve as a flexible work, meet and waiting area. Children can join in the brain puzzle, an all-felt lounge that can be taken apart for playing and lear­ning. From the lobby to the class­rooms, WeGrow is lit by Gople Lamp and Alphabet of Light – flexible lighting systems desi­gned by BIG Ideas and manu­fac­tured by Artemide to create ambi­ence effects that form comfor­table, natural lighting throug­hout the school day. 

Playful and trans­pa­rent, yet home­like and struc­tured, WeGrow nurtures the child’s educa­tion through intro­s­pec­tion, explo­ra­tion and disco­very.

New York Post states: “The $42,000-a-year curri­culum ($36,000 for preschool for ages 3 to 4 and $22,000 for 2‑year-olds) is a slick mish-mash of Montessori, New Age philo­sophy and Silicon Valley capi­ta­lism set amongst Archi­tec­ture Digest-worthy inte­riors.“