HIBINOSEKKEI + Youji no Shiro worked together to give students a proper facility for Montessori students at AKN Nursery in Tokyo, Japan.

This is a facility which has two functions. One is a training center of Montessori education for 0-3 babies and the other is a playing hall for children of the nursery next to this facility.

More than half of area in Akiruno is forest. So, this facility was designed with the concept ‘Forest House in Akiruno’, for both children and adults to cultivate their rich sensitivity and independence through feeling nature.

This building consists of two square-shaped buildings simply designed with wood, and there are columns and beams arranged at equal intervals. Not only these structure supports the building and also when adults use this building as a Montessori training center, these columns and beams can be marks to measure the length and width. Moreover, columns can be an element for children’s play like running around the columns, hiding, or sitting tightly with friends between the columns. At childcare support room next to the entrance, the wooden board is set, which is used as a bookshelf too. By using timbers which come from forest, people can feel like in the forest and it stimulates their sensitivity. In such a simple but sensuous space, children can enjoy playing and learning with independence.

The childcare support room is open for neighbors as well. On the wall and ceiling, local timbers are used without any artificial coatings. People can keel and know wood’s aging and real texture. The café counter is designed with piled local timbers for children and adults to know the local things in enjoying the café time.

In these ways, here ‘Forest House in Akiruno’ is a house for children, staffs and neighbors. And in a sensuous space with natural local wood, people learn nature, cultivate their sensitivity and independence, and the mind to take good care of things.

Architect: HIBINOSEKKEI + Youji no Shiro
Photography:  Toshinari Soga