Kindergarten in the "Growing" Settlement
Ключевая информация
Заказчик:Private Investor
Расположение:Cottage Settlement “Scarlet Sails”, Rastushchy Settlement, Sverdlovsk Region, Russia
Статус:proj
Направление:arch
Год:2014
Площадь:656 м²
Типология:med
An open internal courtyard became one of the key design solutions. During the day, adjacent rooms are warmed by the sun. On clear days, the sun-warmed courtyard acts as a «vent,» effectively drawing fresh air into the classrooms. In the summer, the courtyard serves as a small playground. In bad weather, it is covered by a mechanized sliding canopy. If it is rainy outside, outdoor activities can be held on the covered terraces that adjoin the building.
Facade Design
The facades are finished with light-coloured brick and wood-effect panels. Their natural, calm colour palette makes the surrounding space feel warm and welcoming. Contrasting decorative panels with circular perforation soften the strict rectilinear forms and echo the curved elements of the landscape design. On the terraces, for example, they function both as railings and as play elements.
Layout and Interior Design
The kindergarten includes two group activity rooms, each connected to adjacent bedrooms, toilets, and storage rooms. A small multipurpose hall is attached to the entrance lobby, while administrative rooms and the kitchen are located deeper within the building. The food preparation areas are also compact and operate on a partial-cycle basis: meals are delivered partly prepared and finished on site.
Placing all rooms on a single level made it possible to maintain flexible zoning and ensure children’s safety. The group activity rooms, for example, are visible from the administrator’s office, allowing the children to remain under supervision at all times.
Landscape Design
The adjacent kindergarten grounds are functionally divided into several zones. The entrance area is open to visitors and designed for gatherings and festive events throughout the year. A small open-air amphitheatre can accommodate up to 50 people. In winter, this area becomes a snow play town with slides and a decorated Christmas tree.
Access to the children’s playgrounds is restricted to outsiders. In this part of the landscape, there is no rigid functional division: active play areas flow into quieter spaces for rest. Many of the landscape elements are designed to stimulate children’s imagination, encouraging them to invent their own games rather than follow predefined scenarios.
