kindergarten wolkersdorf

location on the property
starting from the centre of wolkersdorf, the special school, the secondary school and the BG|BRG wolkersdorf are located on withalmstraße. in consistent continuation of this school axis with designed sequences of spaces, a generous expansion area to the southeast has been kept free for a school extension and the new kindergarten. this expansion area is located in the south-west of the planned site for the kindergarten, which is accessed via a cul-de-sac from withalmstraße and also via the extension of the ‘hintausweg’ footpath and cycle path. the location of the building on the south-eastern boundary allows for the creation of a kindergarten entrance area in the north-west. Hintausweg and the cul-de-sac from Withalmstraße lead to this new square. as many children are brought by car, there are additional parking spaces beyond the number of mandatory spaces. generous turning and right-of-way options ensure smooth traffic flow during rush hours.

entrance – general areas
users can take in the entire building from the entrance. generous sightlines, daylight in all areas and a clear structure enable easy and clear orientation. the vestibule leads to a large foyer, which provides access to all rooms. the activity rooms can be opened up into one large space using a mobile partition wall and, together with the foyer and access areas, become the ideal centre for kindergarten parties or other events. to the northeast, this space opens onto a large, partially covered outdoor area, allowing for outdoor gymnastics during the warmer months.

group rooms
the individual group rooms emerge from the homogeneous, compact overall form, interlocking with the green space and drawing in direct daylight from all directions. the green space is a direct extension of the group rooms. the sequence of rooms – cloakroom, group room, openable transition area (teaching conservatory), covered terrace, open terrace – is ideal for kindergarten use. the toilet units in the group rooms can be accessed both from the group room and via the cloakroom, thus enabling a short route from outside. the conceptually planned connection of the group rooms by means of large, mobile sliding elements will not be implemented for the time being. the unheated conservatory is always open in summer and can be closed during the cold season to serve as a heat buffer and utilise passive solar energy. the gallery above the wet rooms and the group room storage area creates a retreat with views of the group room and the centre below, as well as over the roofs to the outside. the sky can be observed from the reclining area on the gallery.

lighting
with the exception of a few minor rooms, all areas of the nursery receive natural light. variations in roof height, skylight glazing and building recesses allow different amounts of sunlight to be captured in almost all rooms throughout the day. the positive effect of sunlight on human health and well-being has long been known and proven in many studies.

materials
in order to give the children playful access to different materials, steel columns and beams (primary construction), prefabricated wooden elements (roof – secondary construction) and lightweight plywood walls are left as original and unclad as possible. the exposed concrete surfaces (load-bearing walls) planned in the original concept are being filled and painted at the client's request.