Yoshino Nursery School and Kindergarten/ Japan
Completed by Tezuka Architects, this nursery and kindergarten is in the suburban of Tachikawa city. It accommodates 500 children aged between 2 to 6 years old. The oval-shaped roof deck (with slope of 1/12) of this kindergarten allows children to play and run endless laps around it- a feature that architecture itself function as a giant playground.
The site is about 32,000 sf (2975 square meter), and the roof footprint is about 14,000 sf (1304 square meter), which leads 18,000 sf (1671 square meter) of open space.
A side note, the roof has 600 feet (183m) perimeter, as about 95 feet radius, which is a lot bigger than the number we discuss in the last post (for kids of 5 years old, a 10 to 14 feet radius circle would be optimum). Yet, this roof is designed for all 500 kids with adults’ company. If we pay attention on the smaller playground on the corner of the site, that is about 14-15 feet radius circle for a smaller group of kids.
Image credit: Good Design Award
Image credit: Tezuka Architects
Råå Day Care Center / Danmark
Completed by Dorte Mandrup architects, the building is shaped as “an interpretation of the condensed village structure, immersed in a dune”.
Similar to Yoshino Kindergarten with a sloping roof design. Yet, only a small portion of Råå Day Care Center is climbable. This fishing village roof, instead of providing a comfortable running filed, provides an awesome lighting and identifiable ceiling height for the kids. The roof offer 4 distinctive peak to corresponding to 4 different group (1-year-old to 5-year-old) inside. Large windows in the façade create a close contact with the sea and surrounding landscape, and ideal sunlight all year around.
Image credit: Dorte Mandrup architects