Abstract
This article takes a special look at the relationship between pedagogy and architecture in the process of constructing school buildings. It often seems that the contribution of the education professional is not important in designing a school. It turns out, however, that a pedagogical reading of the projects can help to improve the proposals or to choose those that are more coherent with the demands of the educating community. How children move around in buildings and what kind of relationships they establish with the outside space have never been determining factors in the design of school buildings. Yet these are important factors that contribute to better working in schools. In this contribution it will be highlighted how the presence of a pedagogical figure in the jury of an international design competition called "Milano in crescita" for a large school complex in the Municipality of Milan, was able to make use, among other things, of the analysis of movements in and between the proposed buildings. The contribution will highlight the steps identified in the definition of the architectural criteria and their pedagogical declination, and will indicate the elements available to the jury for evaluation, with particular attention to the previous participatory process and to the competition announcement. The presence in the commission of a figure with voting power representing the pedagogical component is not taken for granted. In the international context there are no regulations governing figures who can enhance and defend the movement component and the relationships between indoor and outdoor spaces in the evaluation of projects. The winning school's project has skilfully interpreted the wishes of the schools involved and the bold and innovative intentions of the client. For the first time, the movement factor and the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces were considered as essential design elements both from an architectural and a pedagogic-didactic point of view.