Enhance and Balance The Space and Equipment for The Children

Sophisticatedly Child-like

This kindergarten in China distinguishes and appeals to its users with a glass façade that features a printed pattern derived out of simple child-like line drawings.

The simple single-line drawing provides the singular clue of the building’s function

The glass facade with printed pattern creates interesting-patterned light throughout the interiors

This project, the Family Box, is something between an indoor playground and a kindergarten catering for children up to the age of twelve as well as their parents. It hosts different kinds of activities – from swimming, games to various classes ranging from music and dancing to crafting and cooking. Furthermore it has a big ‘playframe’, a reading area and a generous café area. Located at the outer corner of a park, it is placed in a natural environment, which enhances the visibility ofthe building.

Sections

Beginning from the exterior, a glass façade wraps all of the func- tions like a skin, following the given building perimeter. Distinctively, it has a printed pattern, which was developed out of simple single-line drawings made by children. This was modified into a pattern consist- ing of two different-sized squares, with the graphic motif reversed – the background is translucent-white and the drawing is transparent. From afar, the objects on the facade are recognisable, they indicate a building function related to children, fun and recreation.

Lit up like a lantern at night

Bookstore 

For the interior, the different sizes and heights between adults and chil- dren and their different angle of view was the starting point for considering the design, which in turn produced two types of spaces – kids-scaled spaces and adult-scaled spaces. The challenge was in finding a balance between these two spaces.

Entrance area

Despite the complex program, another challenging part of this project was to deal with an existing structural system, column grid and also the building footprint – which was due to a different original func- tion of the existing building, as well as the involvement of another design institute at an earlier project stage. The rigid concrete structure of the building did not seem the most suitable for the design purpose,and was counterbalanced in different ways. Since the two upper floors where not yet constructed, floor plates were shifted up and down, with cut-outs in the floor to allow views between the two floors.

The use of independent rooms in the shape of freestanding boxes allows the activities to run parallel, of-fering the most suitable environment for each. The rooms have their own program or theme, and they all differ from the outside space in terms of color and furniture. Each has its own story, allowing the children to concentrate on the program offered. At the same time, small square window openings provides for the contact with the outside, and likewise parents can have a peep inside to see what is going on.The box locations are meant to break the rigid layout of the concrete columns, which is also camouflaged with a series of arches that give a different rhythm to the environment. Visually, the common areas are treat-ed with low contrast finishes in order to enhance and balance the space and equipment for the children.   

Project Information

Project Name: Family Box

Location: Beijing, China

Client: Children Enterprise (Uk) Limited 

Principal Use: Kindergarten

Architect Firm: Crossboundaries, Beijing

Collaborating Architects & Engineers: Biad International Studio & Biad Tsh International Studio

Site Area: 38,000sqm

Building Footprint: 2,300sqm

Gross Floor Area:  5,625sqm

Design Period 1st Phase: August 2008 – February 2009

Construction Period 1st Phase: August 2008 – December 2009

Design Period 2nd Phase: May - July 2011

Construction Period 2nd Phase: August - December 2011 

Photography: Yang Chaoying