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

• Architects: Arhitektura Jure Kotnik (Jure Kotnik, Andrej Kotnik)
• Project: Podgorje TimeShare Kindergarten and School
• Location: Podgorje pri Slovenj Gradcu, Slovenia
• Photography: Janez Marolt Photography
• Client: City of Slovenj Gradec, Gozdno gospodarstvo Slovenj Gradec
• Constructions: CBD, d.o.o, Dr. Bruno Dujić
• HVAC: FIMA, d.o.o
• Electrical installations: EPNS d.o.o, Danilo Smolar
• Landscape design: Arhitektura Jure Kotnik, Lesoteka projektiva d.o.o.
• Surveillance: Manja Podpečan
• Client coordination: Natalija Knez
• Energy efficiency: EUTRIP d.o.o.
• Timber construction: Lesoteka hiše d.o.o.
• Construction, and concrete works: Gradbeništvo Kuster, d.o.o.

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