Kinder Rain
The school of the future, clad in terracotta
Kinder Rain is a new kindergarten in Piove di Sacco, near Padua, commissioned through a public competition that attracted proposals on an international scale and explicitly encouraged an innovative approach aimed at shaping the “school of the future.”
A contemporary “Casone”
AACM’s winning project turns this ambition into a child-sized micro-village: three classroom volumes arranged around open courtyards and a shared central space. It draws from the memory of the Casone Veneto—the vernacular rural dwelling once used by farmers and fishermen—translating its strong geometry into simple forms that children can recognize as familiar landmarks.
Brick as architecture, not just a finish
What makes the building even more distinctive is its envelope. The entire composition is unified by a continuous terracotta cladding made with S.Anselmo SK1N tiles, turning the façade into a clear declaration of intent: warm, tactile, and rooted in the Veneto tradition of clay construction, yet expressed through a precise, contemporary rhythm.
A decisive phase came late in the process: after the executive design had already been delivered, the design team visited Fornace S.Anselmo and realized the exterior needed a different solution from what had been originally planned. With everything already underway, changing the façade meant taking on a highly complex challenge—economically, in terms of timing, and in approvals. The change was pursued nonetheless, because it would make the building unmistakable and deeply connected to its place.
We are proud to have supported this decision as true partners, not simply as suppliers. Together with the architects, we developed and tested a full-scale 1:1 wall mock-up, enabling all stakeholders to verify both the aesthetic outcome and functional performance before committing. It is a concrete way to reach consensus: you don’t debate a rendering—you stand in front of the material and decide.
Terracotta gives the school a sense of permanence and care, while its nuanced surface captures light and shadow across the courtyards, making the volumes feel alive rather than static. At the base, a pigmented concrete bench softens the threshold between indoors and outdoors, turning the façade line into a place to sit, gather, and play.
A new "village"
The result is a kindergarten where the brick envelope does more than protect: it tells a story of local memory, craftsmanship, and warmth, helping transform a public building into a place children can truly feel is theirs.
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