New Day Nursery
Herzogenaurach · 2021
The two-storey building is integrated into the sloping campus site and, together with its surroundings, forms a protected garden area. The guiding themes of the design are movement, technology and discovery – ideas that shape both the spatial organization and the design of the learning and play areas.
- Location
- Herzogenaurach
- Type of works
- New build
- Commission type
- Study
- Work stages (HOAI)
- 1-2
- Status
- Not realised
- Typology
- Education & Culture, Lighting & Interior Design, Competitions & Assessments
- Year
Updated:
The ground floor accommodates two nursery groups with their associated quiet and ancillary rooms, while the upper floor contains two kindergarten groups as well as a workshop, dining area and movement room. Both levels are linked by a two-storey, light-filled foyer. Open play and activity areas extend the traditional group rooms and create fluid transitions between circulation, gathering and shared use.
Activity zones for building, experimenting and exploring are integrated throughout the interior. Movable components, gears, magnetic elements and so-called motion walls allow children to engage playfully with mechanics and construction. Natural materials, restrained surfaces and carefully placed color accents create a calm and robust architectural framework.
The building envelope also responds to use and context. Large frames and deep façade elements structure the elevations, provide focused views and contribute to summer heat protection. On the garden side, a covered walkway mediates between interior and exterior. The protected outdoor area, with mature trees, spaces for movement and a continuous looped path, extends the educational concept into the landscape.
Entrance, Circulation and Spatial Center
The two-storey foyer forms the spatial center of the building, linking nursery and kindergarten across both levels. A generous staircase makes vertical movement a visible part of everyday life and opens views between the entrance, play areas and garden. Natural materials, light surfaces and carefully placed color accents create a calm atmosphere. Acoustically effective ceiling elements with integrated lighting become a defining design feature. The clear spatial structure supports orientation without separating the different areas: circulation, gathering and play flow into one another.
Semi-Open Learning and Play Spaces
The group rooms are extended by open activity areas to create a semi-open spatial concept. Circulation zones become usable spaces for play and learning. Activated wall surfaces with integrated elements for building, movement and experimentation encourage independent discovery and shared learning.
Clear Floor Plan Organization
The floor plan organizes the uses clearly across two levels: nursery groups and quiet rooms are located on the ground floor, while kindergarten rooms, workshop, dining area and movement room occupy the upper floor. The central foyer links both levels, creating short routes and clear orientation throughout the building.
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