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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Podgorje TimeShare Kindergarten and School in Slovenia by Arhitektura Jure KotnikMarch 14th, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Arhitektura Jure Kotnik New TimeShare Kindergarten is located in the central area of small Slovenian village settlement Podgorje. The building is an extension of an existing school and hosts four playrooms and a classroom for first graders. The kindergarten’s special feature is its open plan approach with unified play space, which covers as much as 86% of the entire kindergarten and can be closed off if necessary. Children can move inside the kindergarten without restrictions, according to the so-called timeshare principle. Movement is even encouraged by a series of elements like sliding doors between playrooms, accordion doors of the central common room, and the road meandering between playrooms, which visually connects different spaces and invites children to follow it (walk, run, ride their kick scooter or bike). Even special road signs have been designed, encouraging children to mimic movements of a particular animal (butterfly, crab, lizard, etc.), and go either fast (cheetah) or slow (snail).  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography
 Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography
 Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography Research shows that the timeshare principle in kindergartens boosts social contacts by more than twice, children’s access to equipment increases threefold and their physical activity is seven times that of their peers in traditional kindergartens. The children of the Podgorje kindergarten run or walk an average 20 laps a day, which equals 1.5 km. Various thematic play nooks (there are as many as 42), numerous blackboards, sports equipment of all kinds, and the accessibility of equipment encourage children to be active, discovering and pursuing their passions; children can use them whenever they are not doing group work.  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography Play rooms are only closed for naps and activities demanding a high level of concentration, the open design fostering excellent cooperation among teachers and allowing children to play with peers with shared interests regardless of age. Play rooms are designed differently to accommodate different interests: some are better for music, others resemble art studios, etc. What they all have in common is that they encourage movement as one of the foundations for a child’s healthy physical and mental development.  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography Most furniture and equipment is on wheels, allowing fast and efficient changes and different spatial configurations. It is also easy and time-effective to move any equipment into the common room and transform it from a hall into a multifunctional space that can accommodate various individual or group activities, from sports to drama acting.  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography The exterior of the kindergarten is also tailored to its inhabitants, with a series of façade elements functioning as play elements. The west-facing wall has a growth chart with typical heights of selected animals indicated in it. The segments of wall interrupting the glazed south side of the kindergarten are covered in blackboard paint so children can scribble and draw on it, and it also features a climbing wall in the corner.  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography The Podgorje kindergarten has been designed as an energy efficient building of the B2 class, with an average energy consumption of 33 kWh/m2 a year. Low energy consumption is mainly due to good orientation with south-facing openings, energy-efficient windows, and good façade insulating coating. The full-wall timber construction from local wood ensures the highest standard in sustainable construction. Prefabricated timber elements were assembled and all the work, including the playground, was completed in only 21 weeks.  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography The playground is designed to use as much natural materials as possible, and the landscape is meant to cover all areas of physical activity and play. There are rubber surfaces, grass surfaces, including sandboxes, a water game area, a climbing area and a multi-functional hill with a tunnel, slide and climbing rope. Its back side will be used for sledging in winter, and as an amphitheatre for a football field during the rest of the year.  Image Courtesy © Janez Marolt Photography A component part of this project is a classroom for first graders. Its signature feature is design elements that effectively help children gain different types of knowledge. An example is the floor angle meter next to the door, which indicates various angles as the door swings back and forth, or ceiling paintings with geometry elements. Each chair in the classroom has white letters attached to its back, helping children passively learn small and capital letters.  Image Courtesy © Arhitektura Jure Kotnik  Image Courtesy © Arhitektura Jure Kotnik  Image Courtesy © Arhitektura Jure Kotnik  Image Courtesy © Arhitektura Jure Kotnik  Image Courtesy © Arhitektura Jure Kotnik
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Categories: Kindergarten, School |
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