SCHWAIG,
GERMANY
KINDER-
GARTEN
SCHWAIG
This competition sponsored by Gemeinde Schwaig called for the design a two-classroom kindergarten. A kindergarten in Germany is similar to a day care in the United States in that the children are of a pre-school age (3-6). The heavily wooded site sloped southwest and was located south of an existing cemetery with existing chapel located at the top of the sloping site.
The kindergarten presented an interesting design problem. On one hand, a stimulating building/environment for the children was desired…on the other hand respecting the adjacent cemetery was also a concern. The chosen approach was to "insert" the building into the slope of the site which one, minimized the building mass in the direction of the cemetery and two, allowed for minimal removal of existing trees. The burying of the structure’s north side was also a strategy in providing an energy-efficient building. The flat roofed portions of the building were designed as a green roof – another energy conserving strategy. Over the personnel and kitchen areas a gently curved roof was employed to anchor the building into the slope and allow for south facing clerestory windows. To animate the building the classrooms were designed as two pyramidal forms and were to be clad with metal panel in primary colors.