Kindergarten, Schriesheim (GER)

Category :

Education + Research + Learning

Project :

New construction of an activity-friendly Kindergarten in Schriesheim

Client :

Stadt Schriesheim

Country :

Germany

Area :

gfa 1.554 m²

Planning period :

12/2014 - 03/2015


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project New construction of an activity-friendly Kindergarten in Schriesheim awarding authority City Schriesheim (GER) team WW+, Esch-sur-Alzette/Trier (LUX/GER) gfa 1.554 m² ufa 1.032 m² gv 5.671 m³ total area 3 ha competition phase 12/2014 - 03/2015 restricted competition 3rd evaluation viewing

 

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
Pablo Picasso

 

Children need room, room they can use, change and structure according to their abilities and possibilities. The meaning of room here is twofold: firstly in the sense of an open space, which children need to develop their imagination, and secondly in the sense of an actual constructed space. The discovery of architecture as an auxiliary educational tool has resulted in particular emphasis being placed on the identification of a new typology when it comes to day-care centres. Today’s understanding of childcare extends to aspects of time, space and atmosphere. With the objective of promoting creativity and encouraging a dynamic environment, we are integrating these new perspectives into the architectonic concept: a building complex, in which humans are the main focus, with rooms that depart from our viewing habits and broaden our previous spatial perceptions. The intention is to touch upon people’s sensitivities via form, colour, haptic interaction and light, to ensure that surroundings can be experienced in a positive way.

 

Incorporating urban planning

 

Genius Loci – Building formation in the flow of nature

 

The architectonic concept foresees a two-storey building composition in a bid to reduce built-up surfaces in favour of green surroundings and places particular importance on the harmonic integration with the surrounding buildings and existing green structures. The structure, featuring pitched roofs that are typical of the area and consisting of three bodies, forms an identity-establishing conclusion to the adjacent Hirschberger Straße. The individual kindergarten building units thus distance themselves from the site boundaries in relation to Hirschberger Straße and Kurpfalzstraße to provide more outdoor space and to extend the interior to the outside, through the resulting courtyard and open space settings. The resultant space on the west side of the building with its urban character encourages people to linger and serves as an arrival area for the kindergarten and the community house.

 

The shape of the building and its entrance are laid out so as to respond perfectly to the geometry and existing characteristics of the building plot, while enhancing this distinctive place between residential buildings and educational establishments and creating in particular a connection to the existing Kunterbunt kindergarten and the evangelical community house.

 

Functional solution

The large-scale kindergarten structure is divided into three building units, which are used for supervision activities (building parts 2 + 3) and supervision organisation (building part 1). The large and open play hall, which promotes children’s mental and motor development, connects the individual houses to one another. The kindergarten’s group rooms as well as its theme rooms (creative room, science station, Snoezelen room, wood workshop, music room, library, etc.) are separated from the activity hall simply by generous sliding elements and in their open state provide an extension of this space, enabling the rooms to be used in a variety of ways. Two theme rooms in each case form one unit and are subdivided by a piece of functional furniture (storage space, seating function, climbing game), allowing for a flexible room configuration. The group rooms as well as the theme rooms feature an additional second play area, which can also be accessed via functional furniture. The ground floor, in addition to the group and theme rooms, houses the gym and multi-purpose room, which like all main function rooms has direct external access. The upper floor provides the children with additional generous group rooms, which are directly connected via a staircase or a slide to the outdoor play area on the ground floor. All group rooms open up to the open space in the direction of the Kunterbunt kindergarten and give children and teachers an unobstructed view of nature. Thanks to their transparency, the permanently open layout and the glass entrance and play hall area unveil visual connections between the individual rooms, thereby revealing the spatial relationships, which in turn positively influences the internal communication.

 

Through its clear structure, the design provides its users with a sense of security and orientation. At the same time, a sense of openness is achieved through the targeted use of materials, light and openings.

 

Construction and materials

The load-bearing wall components of the activity-friendly kindergarten consist of a timber-frame construction. The ceilings featuring a conventional span width are made of precast concrete due to its acoustic properties. The foundation of the structure consists of a bedded floor slab with integrated strip foundations, which also act as a frost barrier. The timber skeleton cubature featuring mineral wool thermal insulation is clad with a natural finished light wood, in the form of a curtain-wall and rear-ventilated strip facing. Wood was chosen due to its adaptation to the environment. The façades feature a combination of tightly-structured openings in the upper floor and large-surface glass elements in the main areas of the ground floor. The window heights have been adapted to the building’s users and, depending on light incidence, create changing shadow patterns, producing a range of ambiances within the façade and the rooms. Teachers can independently open the windows and thus individually influence the indoor climate of a room. A continuous and child-friendly furniture design, consisting of timber wardrobe furniture, colourful seating, two-level multifunctional play furniture with flexible storage options, dominates the interior, creating a friendly and warm atmosphere and an invitation to linger and relax. In keeping with the comprehensive energy concept, robust, durable and sustainable materials have been chosen, which are easy to care for and maintain their appearance over a long period of time, so as to guarantee the building’s efficiency.


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