A body cell and uterin concept:
The project is designed as a body cell, placing the nursery
at the center of the layout as the nucleus, surrounding
gardens as the cytoplasm, and a circumscribing enclosing
wall as the membrane.
A large outdoor playground is generated through a continuous
curvilinear wall that shapes out the boundaries of the
facility. The ‘‘vaginal’’ entrance is characterized by a
concrete vault which is a continuation of the peripheral
wall. Floating within its membrane, the nursery welcomes
visitors into a round space at the center of the building,
enlightened by a covered patio. All the children units
radiate outwards from this central room. This concept of
transitional space and centripetal walkway avoids all effect
of corridor and all effect of start or end of movement.
Thus, the playrooms spread out like a hand-held fan ideally
oriented to the south where each one leads to its own
playground. The curved lines of walls and ceilings underline
the organic and uterin concept which provides safety and
comfort within the building for children as for parents. Double scaling:
The ceiling height in the surrounding playrooms is 2,10
meters-high to create a comfortable environment for the
babies and children. Thus, to give a stronger spotlight on
this idea, we combined it with a variation of ceilings
heights up to 4,20 meters, creating a large range of spaces
and volumes. Thanks to this contrast effect, the units with
low ceilings are perceived as protective recesses. The
circulation space and the children units are lighted up by
zenithal openings, creating the contrast between spaces with
low ceiling that are moderately lightened and spaces that
generously receive the day light. The transition between
different ceiling heights is smoothly done by the curves,
generating a various reflection of light on the ceilings. Buildings fragmentation:
Considering the childrens perception of the building, we
decided to turn it into a raw of variously dimensioned boxes
coming out a bush of bamboos and capturing the day light.
This idea does not only consist in an aesthetical function:
thanks to its shade, the bamboo coat protects the frontages
of the building from over heating while the hat shaped boxes
regulate the energy intake depending on seasons.
View Original