Nestled in rural Thurgau, the kindergarten lies in the small village of Kradolf, south of the already existing school complex. This peripheral location amidst leafy, shade trees ensures the kindergarten blends harmoniously into the landscape. A riverside path alongside the Thur encourages lingering on the edge of the school meadow. At the same time, the two-storey layout runs parallel to a brook perpendicular to the Thur, creating a shaded southern play area for the children. The seating blossoming out of the facade works as another invitation to enjoy the outdoors scenery, while, on the other side of the building, a playground serves as a football field, having the kindergarten wall ready to act as a sturdy goal wall.
The differentiated facade structure coalesces the rationality of a school building with the rural materiality of untreated spruce wood, incorporating the influence of the surrounding landscape directly into the building. The typology thus follows the logic of a modern school construction and stands as a pure timber construction on a solid base of recycled concrete. The tripartite floor plan, with its easy, intuitive room distribution, provides the children with a clear spatial perception. Moreover, when combined with a robust approach to colours and materials, this distinct architectural concept generates the desired freedom for playfulness and flexibility in future interventions.
