HIBINOSEKKEI + Youji no Shiro + KIDS DESIGN LABO worked together to create space for dreaming and play at the MS Kindergarten and Nursery in Maebashi, Japan.

This is a facility newly built for 40 children who are from 1 years old to 2 years old in Maebashi, Gunma, with the concept ‘Feel the change of seasons’. Maebashi city is located at the foot of Mt. Akagi and the weather changes a lot depending on seasons. For examples, in winter they have a strong and cold wind from Mt Akagi, called ‘Akagi Oroshi’ and they feel the change of seasons very well.

Recently monotonous nursery environment seems to be increasing. But in this project, we think it as a problem that rooms in many nursery schools is designed to be easy for adults to control children, so the facility where people spend a comfortable time in feeling nature.

As the environment to feel nature, some elements of Japanese traditional house are installed which has many ideas to face with nature and manage it. Deep eaves and large windows can take wind and sunlight which change depending on seasons. Mud walls have heat insulating and moisture buffering effect. In these ways children can develop physical function while feeling nature even inside. In addition, two-adjoining room is also Japanese traditional house style. By making two rooms together, children can play around safely while teacher watch them over.

In such a comfortable environment, children can feel the change of seasons and cultivate their sensitivity by themselves and at the same time they can have chances to touch local materials and learn its culture.

Design: HIBINOSEKKEI + Youji no Shiro + KIDS DESIGN LABO
Photography: Ryuji Inoue