Toranoko Nursery is a Small Nursery in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

Pure architecture is generated through simple form and spaces. Its innovation lies in the undulating elegant thin roof that characterises the geometry of the built form. The building is very inclusive, bringing in the community as part of the learning spaces, illustrated through the openness of the building.

The project is a small nursery in Yamanashi prefecture, Japan. Most of the local residents are aged, living in small houses and farms scattered in the area. Along with a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji, the town has a peaceful but somewhat deserted atmosphere. The client operates three assisted-living facilities for the elder-ly around the site. The initial idea to build a public place for patients and locals was further speciﬁed to create a lounge and a nursery to take care of the children of the town. On top of this requirement, the architects also intended for the project to become a trigger to infuse life into the neighbourhood and further ﬂourish the local community. Located in the centre of the enclosed site, the roofs are posi- tioned at various angles, opening towards all possible directions to allow physical and visual approaches from as many directions as possible.

The gentle curvature of each roof creates a sequence of scenery, dividing the garden, lounge, lunchroom, nursing room and oice, whilst allowing these spaces to be still connected as one. Children playing, the elderly taking a rest, mothers chatting with each other, and cats basking in the sun - there is a place for everyone here. The Toranoko nursery is designed in the hopes of creating a core space for the community where people would gather around, as if under a big tree in olden days. In order to achieve the lightness of the roofs, 50 x 50 lami- nated veneer lumber (LVL) was used to produce the structural ribs in 90 diferent shapes, which were then sandwiched between two layers of 9mm structural plywood. The curved section lines of the rib elements are cut out of the LVL panel by CNC. The bottom layer of the sandwiching panels, such as the ceiling side, are cut to 95mm-width and random lengths to laminate the ceiling surface while functioning as a structural element at the same time. The roof is strong enough to cover a large span of a maximum 10m by just 86mm thickness without any supporting elements mid-span.

Project Information

Project Name: Toranoko Nursery

Architect: Takashige Yamashita,Japan

Location: Yamanashi, Japan