Atelier Starzak Strebicki

Treehouse-like design of kindergarten and daycare in Düren

A treehouse - that’s how we called our concept for a new building housing a kindergarten and a daycare center. Placed among tall trees, it has a compact form which minimizes the need of interfering with the vegetation growing on the plot. The wooden facade, as well as the building's height, allow it to blend in with the existing landscape. Outdoor terraces and low windows make it possible to observe the surrounding greenery from almost anywhere in the building. The existing trees will be redefined as a protective, green boundary. This serves not only as a source of shade, but also a sound buffer. Towards the building, the vegetation transitions into a grassy playground.

The kindergarten extends over two floors, connected to each other by an auditorium staircase. As a result, the space also serves as a meeting and relaxation area. On the ground floor, there is a multipurpose room which can be used as a foyer, thanks to mobile partition walls. Widenings in the corridors connecting the group rooms create functional play spaces.

The daycare center extends over all floors of the building, and the third - highest - offers pupils a rooftop garden with educational space and views onto surrounding treetops. In addition to multipurpose classrooms, the program includes a cantine and homework rooms. As in the kindergarten, the auditorium staircase provides a central common space. Despite the clear separation of the two functions - kindergarten and daycare - a visual connection has been used at the staircase, where "little" and „big" ones meet.

Sustainability and eco-friendly construction are an important aspect when choosing materials. Both the structure and facade are largely made of wood. This ensures excellent ecological balance and interior atmosphere. In addition, wooden construction is characterized by a high degree of prefabrication and short assembly time on site. Spatial adjustments can be made with ease, while maintaining architectural identity.

Thanks to its compact form, the new building has a very favorable A/V ratio. To keep maintenance costs low, the goal is to achieve a high level of energy efficiency in both winter and summer, while optimizing comfort of use.

The playground surrounding the building complements the concept of a natural landscape. It offers varied forms of play and recreation for pupils of all age groups - allowing play in mud or sand, as well as conventional swings, climbing toys, a rest-friendly willow "pavilion" and hammocks.