The renovation of a mother and child space in Torre Maura, Rome

Assignment: Interior design for the renovation of a mother and child space
Services: Concept design, Detailed design, Construction supervision

To combat educational poverty, we designed the renovation of Save the Children’s mother-and-child space (Spazio Mamme) in Torre Maura, Rome. The aim of the redesign was to provide families in this suburban neighbourhood with a comfortable and welcoming environment to spend time together.

The space, created for children aged 0-6 years, aims to reduce the impact of socioeconomic inequalities that are particularly prevalent in the suburbs of large cities. The aim is to make quality educational spaces available to families living in relative poverty who struggle to access childcare services. This is crucial, as these early years lay the foundations for a person’s full psychophysical development.

Save the Children’s Spazio Mamme has been active since 2014. However, this mother and child space needed restructuring to better adapt to the needs of children and their parents. So we intervened by rethinking, reorganising and equipping the space. The idea behind the project is that of an imaginary village, with a central square as a place for dialogue and various satellite spaces around it. We have equipped each space, from the workshop to the diffuse library, to create a sense of community.

For example, the central space, which serves as a ‘square’, is highly adaptable and all the furniture is on wheels. The new workshop and play area is located in a sheltered area that opens onto the square, also visually. The books, like seeds, are scattered throughout the building according to the logic of a diffuse library. The renovation also improved the breastfeeding and privacy area for mothers.

In terms of activities, the new mother and child space will host a series of workshops and activities. Parents and children will enjoy activities on different topics such as food and nutrition, nature and sustainability, digital and art.

Choice of colours, materials and furniture

When selecting materials, we aimed to introduce children to a rich and varied sensory experience. To achieve this, we chose natural elements like wood and different types of fabrics, incorporating contrasts such as smooth and rough, soft and hard, warm and cold, and more.

The choice of colours, such as sand and cerulean, creates a welcoming atmosphere while also evoking the archetypal theme of houses facing the central square. Colour is applied in both a two-dimensional, flat manner—through house silhouettes—and a three-dimensional way to shape and define spaces.

All these elements contribute to shaping a cohesive identity for the Spazio Mamme in Torre Maura. We have intentionally selected the colours, furniture, and materials to enhance both practical functionality and the sense of community within this environment.

The renovation of the Spazio Mamme is part of project Crescere Insieme, promoted by Save the Children Italy and the Reggio Children Foundation, with the support of the Credem Group.

We developed this project through an intense co-design process with the Reggio Children Foundation, a global reference point for the promotion of children’s rights and potential. The Reggio Emilia Approach guided us through this, particularly the principle that “The environment is the third teacher” (Loris Malaguzzi), which states that the quality of spaces must go hand in hand with the quality of learning.