SUNHOUSE: Gorgeous Green-Roofed Nursery is a Daylit Haven for Bright Young Minds

It's never too early to start learning about sustainable living, as evidenced by this incredible <a href="http://christensenco.dk/eng/projekter&amp;p=35" target="_blank">Sunhouse</a> nursery designed by <a href="http://christensenco.dk/eng/" target="_blank">Christensen and Co. Architects</a> in Denmark. The beautiful daylit building is one of the world's biggest nurseries, and it combines sustainable architecture and clean energy technology to create a healthy learning environment for kids.

Though a relatively young firm, Christensen and Co. are at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions and green architecture. Already they design to meet the future <a href="http://sustainablecities.dk/en/city-projects/cases/copenhagen-lighting-the-way-in-low-energy-construction" target="_blank">Danish 2020 building regulations</a>, reducing CO2 emissions with 75% and even signed the <a href="http://www.unglobalcompact.org/" target="_blank">UN Global Compact</a> in 2010 which puts environmental precautions and responsibility at the forefront of architectural priorities. We look forward to seeing what's in store for their future!

The nursery's roof is a series of slanted plates alternating solar panels and sedum flowers. The panels capture and store energy in a local grid to heat and cool the building throughout various climates.

The slanted design and high performance insulation technology also allows for natural ventilation and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_mass" target="_blank">thermal mass</a>, letting the building essentially "breathe" fresh air on its own.

The triangle's interior can house nearly 100 rambunctious children, with clean and simple open space and plenty of natural sunlight. Low energy light fixtures and modern sound proofing wall boards are perfect for a dimly lit afternoon nap.

Outdoors, the Sunhouse boasts a wooden jungle gym and various gardens to represent the different landscapes of Denmark. A tiny wooded area represents the forests while a sandy plot is reminiscent of the coastline. Here, children can learn about the environment and even grow their own plants in the green house.

Working with <a href="http://www.activehouse.info/vision" target="_blank">"active house"</a> principles, the 4,200 square foot building is designed to produce energy while maintaining a healthy interior climate for its occupants. The compact triangle design optimizes sun intake with the two longest sides covered in windows facing southeast and southwest. Combined with the <a href="http://www.velux.com/" target="_blank">Velux </a>roof windows, the nursery captures 3 times as much sunlight than a regular building.