Designing for children raises the standard for everyone

Designed for children — the most sensitive occupants — the building uses daylight as a core architectural element to create healthy spaces for learning, play and rest. Oriented toward a south-facing garden and integrated into a tree-filled slope, generous façade glazing and VELUX flat roof windows bring balanced daylight from multiple directions, supporting daily rhythms and a strong connection to nature.

Daycare classroom with tables, chairs, and VELUX roof windows.

Children painting in a bright room with a flat roof window.

The design challenges

Designing a kindergarten for children — on a sloping, tree-filled site — meant transforming natural constraints into architectural opportunities. The challenge was to create healthy, adaptable spaces that balance generous daylight, intuitive indoor comfort and educational requirements within one cohesive design.

Ensuring sufficient daylight in classrooms despite shading from trees and terrain
Meeting — and exceeding — daylight standards for educational buildings
Creating flexible lighting conditions to support learning, play and rest throughout the day

Daycare room with lime green counter and VELUX roof window.

The design process

From the outset, daylight was treated as a defining architectural element, rather than an afterthought. The ambition was not only to meet standards, but to create spatial quality tailored to children’s sensitive needs, even in smaller classrooms.

Each classroom receives daylight from multiple directions, complemented by soft, diffuse top lighting through VELUX flat roof windows. This balanced approach reduces shadowing on desks, supports visual comfort and limits reliance on artificial lighting.

Orienting classrooms toward the garden to maximise daylight and views
Integrating VELUX flat roof windows for balanced, top-down natural light
Pairing daylight design with shading to ensure visual and thermal comfort

Ceiling with geometric design and VELUX roof window.

Daycare center with children at tables, large windows, and concrete beams.

The results

The finished kindergarten delivers bright, calm and energy-efficient spaces designed around the needs of young children. Carefully controlled daylight enhances learning, supports rest and well-being, and creates a comfortable indoor climate throughout the day.

VELUX roof windows and solar-powered black-out awnings help fine-tune light and temperature, supporting natural daily rhythms while reducing energy demand.

Daylight from multiple directions makes classrooms feel spacious and inviting
Flexible shading adapts light levels for learning, play and rest
Less reliance on artificial lighting improves energy performance and sustainability.