NOAH’S ARK NURSERY SCHOOL
Project and artistic direction:
Carlo Cappai e Maria Alessandra Segantini, C+S ARCHITECTS
Location:
Alzano Lombardo (Bergamo)
Photo:
Alessandra Bello
Year of completion:
2025
Nestled in the greenery of Villa Paglia Park, the NOAH’S ARK NURSERY SCHOOL is a space conceived to welcome, support growth, and encourage discovery. Its architecture is both delicate and expressive, the result of five years of work and deeply rooted in the local context and the tradition of Italian design.
“They are public spaces that build community.”
Carlo Cappai e Maria Alessandra Segantini
The new building, designed by C+S Architects in collaboration with Capitanio Architetti, is laid out on a single level yet stands out for its striking internal verticality. An articulated section allows abundant natural light to enter both through the large glazed façade and the shed roof, a direct reference to the industrial heritage of the Bergamo area, here reinterpreted as a defining feature and a visual legacy for children.
At the entrance, the large hall welcomes visitors with a sequence of shed skylights set at 240 cm, diffusing a soft, enveloping light into the deepest areas of the building. This luminosity interacts with the more direct light from the glazed surfaces and courtyards, creating an ever-changing balance between interior and exterior.
Each classroom opens onto an external portico, inspired by the renowned detail designed by Giuseppe Terragni for the Sant’Elia kindergarten in Como: a regular rhythm of metal pillars supporting light curtains that never cling to the façade. The outdoor lighting is also integrated into this system, ensuring continuity with the architecture.
Each space can be transformed by the creativity of the teachers or the community that surrounds it.
The lighting design was developed in close relationship with the building’s architecture, which is strongly defined by the presence of shed roofs and large glazed surfaces that ensure a high level of natural light throughout the interior spaces. This condition made it possible to focus the project on a limited number of lighting fixture types, promoting long-term durability, ease of maintenance, and a high degree of formal clarity.
The dining hall and corridors share the same quality of light: in the communal spaces, the zenithal light from the shed roofs meets the light from the garden, while the circulation paths become places of discovery thanks to continuous lines of light that guide movement and provide a sense of reassurance.
Harmony, energy efficiency, creativity
Classrooms, corridors, and outdoor areas are illuminated with Venezia Maxi, featuring an innovative microprismatic cover, a highly efficient solution with an integrated LED source and a 3000K color temperature, offering a suitable protection rating. The integration of DALI technology allows for optimized control of the lighting system, ensuring significant energy savings.
The lighting design is complemented by additional fixtures used selectively in supporting spaces, including John 40 and Magneto spotlights, which are distinguished by compact dimensions and high luminous efficiency.
Great attention has been given to Human Centric Lighting. Thanks to DALI control, the light levels are calibrated to follow the natural transition from day to late afternoon, supporting the children’s daily rhythms and enhancing visual comfort.
The building uses alternative energy sources and achieves the highest levels of energy efficiency, becoming the first NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) public facility for the community of Alzano Lombardo.
Awards Won by the Project:
- BLT, Built Design Award 2025, Switzerland
- DNA Paris Design Award 2025, France
- Architizer A+ Awards 2026, New York, USA, Honourable Mention
- Createurs Design Awards 2026, Paris, Nominee
Project Products
JOHN
Product description
Specifications
| Diameter | Lumen | Power |
| 40 mm | 571 lm | 6 W |
| 50 mm | 804 lm | 10 W |
| 60 mm | 1657 lm | 18 W |
| 80 mm | 2478 lm | 26 W |
| Optics | 15° | 26° | 36° | 60° |
| CCT | 2700 | 3000 | 4000 | |
| CRI | >95 | |||
| Driver | ON/OFF* | DALI* | *on request | |
| Model color | # | # | RAL on request |
MAGNETO
Product description
Specifications
| Diameter | Lumen | Power |
| 33 mm | 589 lm | 7W |
| Optic | 36° | |||
| CCT | 2700 | 3000 | 4000 | |
| CRI | >90 | |||
| Driver | ON/OFF | |||
| Model color | # | # | RAL on request |
VENEZIA MAXI
Description profile
Specifications
| Lenghts | Available finishes |
| 1000 mm | Matt white |
| 2000 mm | Anodized alluminum |
| 3000 mm | Matt black |
| Diffuser | Opal | Clear | Satin | Prisma |