Fuji: an architecture that says "kids first"

   
Probably one of the best little or should I say rather big schools for little people is Fuji Kindergarten in Japan, designed by Tezuka Architects.




Architects Takaharu and Yui Tezuka joined forces with Kashiwa Sato, one of Toyko's most respected creative directors, to build and brand, a novel kind of kindergarten for 500 children in Tachikawa, a suburban area of Tokyo - conceived to play a role in the young child's education.



A central feature of the design is the landscaped rooftop, providing a deck and extended surface for the children to play. A slight incline sloping to the centre courtyard in the middle, and the absence of toys, tools and games encourages the children to run freely.



The kindergarten's oval 183m perimeter shape came about in the desire to preserve the site's existing zelkova trees: "We absolutely wanted to make a space without dead ends, but as we were obstructed by three large zelkova trees, it just couldn’t become circular. Riding the train on the Chuo Line one day, we suddenly drew an oval that avoided the trees, and seeing how much better it was, we used it unchanged as the shape" (e-architect).

The oval plan makes each classroom space visible, encouraging a flexible and open-teaching approach, and giving a sense of connectivity and the 'whole'.



Each classroom has a skylight that penetrates the roof's surface, creating structures (some with ropes attached) for the children to climb on. Leading off the roof are also steel steps and a slide - the roof therefore becoming an important component of the "playground" (Monocle).



The building is able to be completely opened up to the outdoors, with the use of wooden framed sliding doors, providing the children direct access to the outdoors at all times.



The kindergarten's Montessori-inspired philosophy is to teach or instill it's children with the skills and confidence to function in society, it's policy being "Kids first - Help me do it myself".

One example of this is the electric lighting, which consists of individual bulbs, each with a pull chord switch and dimmer. Children can easily make changes to their environment by turning the lights on and off, and also understand where light actually comes from (Imagine School Design).



Many children commute to the kindergarten and a bus service is provided with specified pickup points (Scott, 2008: 8).



Taps in the courtyard allow the children to wash and play with water. Instead of using troughs, the architects decided to allow the water to fall and run onto a wooden base which absorbs the water and teaches children of "cause and effect" (Monocle).



Three existing zelkova trees grow through the building, becoming integral to the building's landscape.



Up on the roof deck, the trees are surrounded by a scramble net that children can climb on and around, whilst offering shade in the summer.



Inside and outside space is blurred with the use of glazed doors and circular structural columns. In winter months the doors can be kept closed and an underfloor heating system is used that uses hot gases from a stove through a series of flues, that heat the solid floor surface (Imagine School Design).



There are no wall divisions between classroom spaces, rather a series of timber box units are used, which can be arranged in multiple ways - for storage, benches, seats, tables and impromptu walls.




Here the kindergarten structure also allows for assembles, the children gathering around the oval perimeter, and the centre becoming the 'stage'.

The forms (oval and square), materials (exposed steel, warm wood, concrete and sand) and colours (branded uniform, posters and stickers) are minimal yet carefully selected and unified to create a functional yet homely environment for the young children.

Via Monocle, Imagine School Design, Kashiwa Sato and Education in Japan.

A school which strives to be better - to retain its history, encourage community and provide a healthy and happy environment for its young users

"Is this all ours?", asked a junior pupil. "The children are excited by all the space they now have", says Julia Simpson, the charismatic head teacher at Sandal Magna School, who has championed the project replacing the old dilapidated red brick Victorian primary school (Bauman, 2010: 39).  



The new design by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects serves the Wakefield, England community - including the 210 pupils who attend the primary school, the 26 younger children who attend the attached nursery, and a community room for community activities or events.

The architects' renderings of the school design concept, which combines natural materials, plenty of 'greenery' and gardens of flowers and vegetables - providing it's pupils with a relaxing and healthy environment, teaching them good practices for healthy living.

The brief was to design a highly functional, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and durable building. Extensive discussions with the community and teachers established additional design priorities such as a sense of history, a new identity, the provision of a variety of play spaces and the consideration for the building to 'fit in' with its urban context.


This axonometeric drawing show the various parts of the school - the main teaching areas, hall, nursery, staff black and outdoor play spaces. Here you can also see the various forms that have been utilised for each, giving them a specific character and identity.

The design responded to these aspirations with a building that sits low on the site and is oriented to receive maximum natural ventilation and daylight. The spatial plan utilises three linear 'fingers' featuring double-loaded corridors, enabling much light and air to flood each of the separate buildings, and enabling a constant visual link to the outdoors, whilst also allowing for the possibility of future expansion.



Materials used include reclaimed red brick from the existing Victorian school, solid timber, weatherboard, sheet cladding and corrugated rain screens. Exposed services are also included in the design vocabulary.



There are numerous types and sizes of windows used throughout the building according to their orientation and internal use, their cills kept low to accommodate the young users.



The forms employ a range of sharp angular geometries, which combined with the material palette, denotes different uses and provides a range of spatial experiences for the young children.



A touch of delight, is the new bell tower, which was constructed to replace the original, a powerful landmark for the school that continues its 120-year-old tradition of ringing the bell at the start and finish of each day. Therefore maintaining a sense of history, and of Wakefield's industrial heritage for the school.



Environmental features include the brick thermal mass, natural ventilation and provision which ensures that carbon dioxide concentration does not exceed 1,500ppm during the day (the school is one of the most carbon efficient schools in the UK); electronic dampers control fresh air entering the building through the vents; a ground-source heat pump, which is controlled by a 100 metre squared photovoltaics are situated on the south-facing school hall; a rainwater catchment system; and alloted gardens which will be used for educational purposes.



Contextually, the school takes its cue from its vernacular surroundings, referencing the pattern of its surrounding terraced houses and back streets.




The use of a number of materials, window types, varying roof forms and exposed services creates a playful and delightful architecture for the young children. Providing them with a range of spatial experiences and opportunities to spark their imaginations. The use of serious and sensitively chosen colours and natural materials not only takes the young children seriously, but provides the children with a healthy and homely environment that they may be proud to call their own.



I like this comment from a reader of Dezeen: "Sandal Magna School is monumental in its own way: For the way it challenges the establishment on how schools can be designed well on a tight budget; for the way that it proves architecture matters without being superficial and slick; for striving to make a difference." 
 
Via Architecture Today, ArchDaily, The Architects Journal, and Dezeen.

And to think is the beginning of a real education

     


“Must we always teach our children with books? Let them look at the mountains and the stars up above. Let them look at the beauty of the waters and the trees and flowers on earth. They will then begin to think, and to think is the beginning of a real education.” - David Polis

Photo via Captured by Carrie and quote via Rain or Shine Schools (Creative Star Learning).