Abstract:

A space for children must be more than functional. It must carry an atmosphere that opens itself to their lives, their movements, their curiosity, their need for closeness, shelter and free play. In this kindergarten in Weil am Rhein, space is not background but a quiet companion. It protects without confining. It opens without losing itself.

The building integrates into its neighborhood through cubic volumes echoing the residential scale. These cubes, housing group rooms, workshops, kitchen and multi-use hall, rise from a connecting roof that unifies the program while preserving each room's identity. At the heart lies a courtyard piazza linking all groups and opening to the garden. A continuous loop, the racetrack, connects every space and invites movement and discovery.

Construction is reversible and honest: timber frame with blade joints, cassette ceilings and screw foundations allowing complete disassembly. Modular walls enable reconfiguration over time. Natural, untreated materials and tactile surfaces speak to children's perception, inviting them to touch and understand their environment through their bodies before their minds.

Transparency shapes how children see, meet and understand each other. Visual connections, daylight and generous spaces foster trust, belonging and togetherness. Quiet niches offer retreat when needed.

Architecture as coexistence: between shelter and freedom, movement and rest, the individual child and the community they grow into.