[ Takaharu + Yui Tezuka ] Fuji Kindergarten, Tachikawa, Tokio - Japón

Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan

Site area: 4791.69 m2 / Foot print area: 1699.10 m2 / Total floor space: 1094.83 m2

Ceilinng heights (varies): 2.172 m / Total heights: 2.78 5m

Floors:　1 LEVEL

Master planning: Feb 2005-March 2006

Phase 1 construction (50%): March 2006 - Sep2006

Phase 2 construction (100%): July 2006 - Jan 2007

Owner: Montesoli School Fuji Kindergarten

Creative Director: Kashiwa Sato

Architect: Takaharu + Yui Tezuka

Building Construction: Takaharu+Yui TEZUKA / TAKAHARU+YUI TEZUKA ARCHITECTS

A large oval building of about 183m outer circumference, and about 108m inner circumference. Three existing zelkova trees (two of 25m and one of 15m) pass through the architecture. This is a kindergarten for 560 children.

All the architectural spaces are at the scale of a child. It is a one-storey building, with the ceiling heights restricted to 2100mm. There is hence an extremely close relationship between the floor level and the rooftop level.

The childcare rooms contain – and are gently divided from each other by – furniture of a size and weight that a child can carry. As shelves for storing teaching equipment, the furniture sometimes also becomes big building blocks. Never-ending chases sometimes occur on the endless oval roof. The three large zelkova trees that pass through the roof are splendid climbing points.

Wherever you are, the entire garden can be viewed. The spaces extend with nothing being excluded.

Our scheme is the "end of an era". Here is a treasure house of the "joy" that we have abandoned in modern times. Modern conveniences have deprived children of sensation. What we want to teach through this building is "common sense". These are the values of human society that do not change, even across the eras.

We want the children raised here to grow into people who do not exclude anything or anyone. Even though decades may pass, this kindergarten will still be full of the smiles of children energetically running around. We want it to be the same as it is now.

from  noticiasarquitectura