A house-shaped reading nook and colorful paintings are among the playful features of Hayarden in Israel
Submitted at Feb 20, 2019, 12:18 PM
A reading nook in the shape of a little house and super colorful painting are among the playful features of this school for the children of refugees living in Tel Aviv, designed by a team of local architects and designers. 
The Hayarden school was designed for children aged 5 to 16 who live predominantly in Tel Aviv’s Hatikva neighborhood – a working-class area that has seen a surge of African asylum seekers. Local designer Sarit Shani Hay and Architects Chen Steinberg Navon and Ayelet Fisher redesigned the two-story school as part of a community project, using a limited budget and sponsorship from the nonprofit Zionut 2000. 
A series of geometric oak volumes housing desks, cabinets and upholstered benches have been inserted into one of the hallways. These structures create cozy nooks for students to sit, study, read and play in groups or privately. The structures are shaped like little houses with roofs of different designs. 
Other details of the school include large swaths of yellow, pink and blue hues, which brighten up the existing concrete walls. A fuschia staircase stands against a turquoise wall, with a small seating area featuring an orange floor. Another area has yellow painted cinder block walls with corkboard, a red table and a bright blue stool. The team plans to renovate the first floor classrooms as a next step, given the success of the project. 
Tel Aviv is home to 60,000 refugee men, women and children. Foreigners make up about 10% of the city's population, with the majority being from Sudan and Eritrea. Hayarden School currently has 360 kindergarten students. to the sixth grade. Its location is close to the city's decaying central bus station, which has become a hub of commercial activity for migrants and a haven for drug addicts.
