Renowned architect Kengo Kuma’s Kids Academy Taiyogaoka Hoikuen is not your average kindergarten. Rather than featuring cheerful colors and a plastic playground equipment, this new learning center is made entirely from locally sourced wood. Located in the coastal city of Ishikawa, in Japan, the modest single-floor shelter provides kids with a natural environment for playing and learning.
Kengo Kuma‘s Kids Academy Taiyogaoka Hoikuen is a single level building that covers a small area. It is built close to the ground and embodies Kuma‘s vision of ‘small architecture’. The building is made from locally sourced wood inside and out, and its natural color, petite size, and on-site trees help it merge with the landscape.
Designed to suit the size and activities of children, the kindergarten is low with plenty of small niche-like “caves” inside. Recessed geometric windows let natural light in, diffusing strong sun rays while illuminating the beautiful wood grain of the interior paneling. Kengo Kuma’s wooden kindergarten a unique learning environment made with respect for both nature and kids.
Via Archilovers
Photos by Kengo Kuma
