RECESSTeam: JT Bachman and Liv Orlando
Featured in UVA Today
Recess, a respite pod for children is placed in the school yard, and calls to attention the restorative value of play. This project is an outcome of the research project titled Waste Not, Want Not which looks to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill by reprocessing discarded materials and transforming them into either new material prototypes or long-lasting functional objects. The research was funded through a Summer Research Grant awarded from the UVA School of Architecture. The pod was constructed from refurbished scrap wood and PET plastic sheets leftover from when the UVA FabLab was assembling face shield for front line workers during COVID. Mediating interior and exterior, the pod provides children with a quiet space amidst the high energy environment of the playground. The iridescent shingles and slatted facade provide enclosure for the children, while affording visibility for the teachers.
The project centers our collaborative community work with a local Charlottesville Montessori; Recess provides elements of refuge, prospect views, and empowers children with a level of control over their immediate environment.
