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Project data
Kita Walldorf

Nursery with 6 groups

Procedure:

competition 2016, Honorable Mention

Client:

city of Walldorf

Project Partner:

In collaboration with herzig architekten, Darmstadt

Building Type:

Nursery with six groups

Size:

2.176 sqm gross floor area
 

Urban Integration

The location of the property on the edge of the forest determines the founding urban concept of the nursery. The nursery as a free formed tree roof structure separates the property into an entrance and a garden area.

Through the back and forth swings in its volume, the building creates an interaction between the out- and indoor spaces. Under the large freeform roof, the "houses" (classrooms) that are grouped around a center, create a smooth transition between the hall and the outside playing area - a forest children's house. The main entrance of the children's day care center is from the south over the Neuen Heimat street and the adjacent car park area.

The setback in the building volume creates an entrance plaza which together with the partially covered entrance area, a free form bench and the tree stock, offers a high sojourn quality. Already from here the nursery conveys an identity of a "forest children's house". Under the free formed roof, all classrooms are oriented towards the forest on the west side, creating a large outdoor playing area there.

Between the day care center and the open space, there are smooth transitions to the landscape. In the close interplay between the building and open space, the building develops an independent identity that at the same time fits into the surroundings.

 

Building Design

Based on the principle of compact design, the free formed roof encloses all the different spaces of the 2 storey nursery. Due to the free shape of the roof and the adjusted cubes between the horizontal slabs, the volume is broken down. The result is a small-scale, child-friendly impression of individual houses/volumes.

The building becomes a light and transparent pavilion. A place is created with an appropriate scale for children under a single roof. Different functions such as classrooms, multipurpose room, dining room, administration- and service rooms are formed in clearly legible individual cubes around a common center, which can be used as a multifunctional space.