kindergarten wolkersdorf

location on the property
starting from the center of wolkersdorf, the special school, secondary school, and bg/brg wolkersdorf are located on withalmstrasse. in consistent continuation of this school axis with a series of designed squares, a generous expansion area was kept free in the southeast for a school extension and the new kindergarten. the planned location for the kindergarten is in the southwest of this expansion area, accessible 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 southeast border allows for the creation of a kindergarten entrance area in the northwest. hintausweg and the cul-de-sac from withalmgasse lead to this new area. since many children are brought by car, there are additional parking spaces for parents who accompany their children to kindergarten, in addition to the number of mandatory parking spaces. generous turning and driving space ensures 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 center for kindergarten parties or other events. to the northwest, this space opens onto a large, partially covered outdoor area, allowing for outdoor gymnastics during the warm season.

group rooms
the individual group rooms grow out of 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. large, mobile sliding elements allow all group rooms to be connected to each other. the unheated conservatory is always open in summer and can be closed in the cold season with simple materials (e.g., multi-wall sheets) to serve as a heat buffer and utilize 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 center 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 kindergarten receive daylight. variations in roof height, skylight glazing, and building recesses allow the sun to be captured in varying degrees 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 children playful access to different materials, exposed concrete (load-bearing walls), steel columns and beams (primary construction), prefabricated wooden elements (roof - secondary construction), and lightweight plywood walls are left as original and unclad as possible.