The new Grade-RR Nursery school that we designed for Laerskool Kruinsig asks the question of whether a school can be designed to become an extension of a kid’s playground? The concept of the design was informed by a playful approach to architecture which uses the analogy of a “Shongololo” insect to inform how bright blue steel louvers can be used to create a protective skin over the outdoor playground. These louvers wrap up along a sinuous steel beam structure all the way from the site boundary wall to the edge of the roof over the passages in front of the classrooms. This creates a sheltered space below with soft indirect light being filtered through the louvers to become a fantasy world where kids can play with their friends. A flowing blue freeform brick boundary wall provides security and privacy for small children from the public street edge and guides you towards the main entrance. A brightly painted yellow, freeform brickwork structure defines the entrance to the school where a wall curves in to open up onto the outdoor play area. A series of precast stormwater pipes are built into the 660mm wide wall that supports the ramp leading up to the classrooms, to create a porous edge for the walkway. These pipes allow natural light and ventilation into passages while providing spaces that small children can explore in a safe environment. A winding ramp leads up towards the first-floor classrooms to provide easy access to mothers with small children in prams or strollers.