Kindergarden Bärenhütte, Giesshübl

A new two-story building for a childcare facility for eight groups is being constructed on the site of the former Bärenhütte.

Plenty of bright space to feel good, which adapts to the needs

The structure will be divided into four equal “houses” and pushed against each other. This creates individual space for two kindergarten groups in each house. If necessary, several group rooms can be combined by means of sliding walls.

The heart of the kindergarten is an atrium with stairs and seating steps, which invite the children to linger. The open atmosphere is emphasized by a child-friendly color scheme and glazing above that brings natural light down to the first floor. Semi-transparent PV modules integrated into the glazing provide shading, preventing overheating in summer.

From the central atrium, pathways lead like open arms to the individual groups. The corridors are designed like small lounges, so the walls and common areas can also be used by the children in a variety of ways through seating niches and painting areas. The checkrooms of the group rooms are located in the spaces in between, with direct exit to the outdoor area.

Open space as an extended playground

The location directly at the edge of the forest invites to create a lot of outdoor movement space in the form of differentiated green and play areas. There are places on the whole area that invite to discover or to linger. The kindergarten building is surrounded by a wooden terrace, which integrates the existing trees as well as new tree plantings by means of incisions and allows for a merging with the landscape. On the terrace, directly adjacent to the group rooms, children can grow fruit and vegetables in the raised beds provided.