Kéré Architecture has revealed the design for a vertical childcare center at Munich’s Technical University (TUM) in Germany. Named "Ingeborg Pohl Kinderoase an der TUM," the center will be built in wood to the extent allowed by local norms and regulations for energy efficiency, thermal comfort, fire protection, and acoustics. The new building, located between the TUM main campus and the university canteen, broke ground on April 18 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The new daycare center, located in a dense urban campus, is designed to offer a space where the students’ children can be cared for in a high-quality environment. A total of 60 children will benefit from the 700 square meter facility, provided with spaces of various scales for playful explorations. The interiors of the building, also designed by Kéré Architecture, are created to encourage development, play, romping, and discovery.
The building comprises five floors, with the ground level occupied by administration offices. Across the middle three floors, children's facilities are organized by age. The top floor features a covered roof terrace named Himmelswiese, translating to "field of the heavens" in German, providing a sheltered outdoor space for children to play and enjoy panoramic views of Munich.
When we build for the little ones, we want them to be able to run around outside and feel the elements. I would also like to colonize the neighboring roofs, starting by connecting our building with the roof of the cafeteria and turning that into a giant meadow. - Francis Kéré
The design of the new daycare facility aims to reduce its carbon footprint while ensuring a high standard of comfort. For this, the center will be built mostly in timber, and employ sustainable materials throughout. The project is developed in collaboration with Austrian-based wood construction experts Hermann Kaufmann + Partner. After completion, the daycare center will be operated by the Munich Student Union.
Led by Pritzker Prize winner Francis Kéré, the renowned studio Kéré Architecture has recently completed the Kamwokya Community Center in Uganda’s capital city, a facility meant to enhance the public character of the site and to provide a more conducive space for the activities already happening on site, such as sports training and matches, spontaneous gatherings, community events, workshops, music, and dance classes. Francis Kéré has also been present at the Milan Design Week, where he contributed with an installation fusing organic materials and modern craftsmanship.
Project Credits:
- Design: Kéré Architecture, Berlin, in cooperation with Hermann Kaufmann + Partner ZT GmbH, Schwarzach
- Structural engineering, fire protection, and building physics: TUM Prof. Stefan Winter bauart Konstruktions GmbH & Co. KG, Munich
- Energy efficiency: TUM Prof. Thomas Auer, Munich
- Technical building services: ITG-Ingenieurgesellschaft für TGA mbH, Munich
- Landscape planning: JÜHLING & KÖPPEL Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Munich
- Project control and construction management: GAPP GmbH, Munich
