The six-group daycare centre, designed as a two-storey structure composed of two offset elongated buildings, seamlessly integrates into the residential area of the Gaisbach district in Künzelsau. The split-level floor plan follows the slope of the site, dividing the building into two sections. A folded, sloped roof links the sections and aligns with the surrounding architecture, creating a distinctive and independent structure within its context. Positioned in the northwestern part of the site, the location allowed for the existing daycare to remain operational during construction and contributes to a stronger presence for the centre in the neighbourhood on the corner of Silcherstrasse. After the existing building is demolished, a spacious, well-lit outdoor play area will be created to the southwest, providing diverse spaces for children to enjoy. The recessed main entrance on Silcherstrasse offers ample space for children to arrive safely.
Bringing all children together under one roof
The defining feature of the daycare centre is its folded roof with a high point and skylight above the expansive central play stairway, which serves as the heart of the building. Around this central core, all rooms are clearly organised in a compact layout across two floors. The split-level design creates a smooth transition between floors with interesting sightlines throughout. The circulation areas are spacious enough for children’s coat racks and double as play hallways. The dining room and multipurpose room on the ground floor extend the foyer, connecting the entrance area with the garden. The six group rooms are distributed across both floors, grouped in clusters along with their adjacent rooms. The rooms for children under three are directly accessible from the entrance via a barrier-free route, while the group rooms for older children are on the upper floor. Emergency stairways on both sides provide direct access from the upper floor to the garden. The identical layout of the two group areas on both the ground and upper floors allows for flexible occupancy with groups of children under-three and over-three.
Construction and materiality
Sustainable and durable materials were chosen for this new building to meet the requirements of our time and the users. Constructed entirely from timber, including the structural framework, with only the interior walls made in dry construction and the foundation and basement in reinforced concrete, the building represents a contemporary, cost-effective timber construction with a high degree of prefabrication. The way the components are joined and constructed ensures that the structural framework and the concrete construction can be dismantled, sorted by material and returned to the material cycle.
