Growing up in nature. Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office
06/09/2023.
[Gotemba] Japan
metalocus, ADELA BONAS, CRISTINA RODRÍGUEZ
metalocus, ADELA BONAS, CRISTINA RODRÍGUEZ
Takashige Yamashita Office architectural firm was commissioned to design the Children's Forest, a nursery for children aged 0 to 5 years, located on a hill near Mount Fuji. The nursery is located in the city of Gotemba, in Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, Japan.
The topography of the site had a major impact on the design of the project. The Hinoki trees, native to central Japan, that filled the site generate bubbles of light on the ground. This, together with the undulating slope and the hill, inspired the architects to design an illuminated space that floats in the forest.
The topography of the site had a major impact on the design of the project. The Hinoki trees, native to central Japan, that filled the site generate bubbles of light on the ground. This, together with the undulating slope and the hill, inspired the architects to design an illuminated space that floats in the forest.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Site plan. Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office.
Floor plan. Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office.
Roof plan. Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office.
Sections. Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office.
Diagrams. Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office.
The nursery designed by Takashige Yamashita Office has separate classrooms for each age group, located on different levels and facing the views of the surroundings. These volumes are connected by ramps and spaces where children can play even in bad weather. The design of the roof, with skylights, allows natural light to enter and the vegetation to glow inside.
The playgrounds are also divided by age. The building has a large grassy field located in front of the classrooms for 2- to 5-year-olds with a hill and tunnel for crawling and climbing that is easily accessible, and an open playground, accessible from the lobby, for younger children. At the other end of the lobby, a climbing block is located for older children to play and climb.
The location of the nursery in the natural context seeks to create a warm and healthy space for children to grow up surrounded by greenery.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
The playgrounds are also divided by age. The building has a large grassy field located in front of the classrooms for 2- to 5-year-olds with a hill and tunnel for crawling and climbing that is easily accessible, and an open playground, accessible from the lobby, for younger children. At the other end of the lobby, a climbing block is located for older children to play and climb.
The location of the nursery in the natural context seeks to create a warm and healthy space for children to grow up surrounded by greenery.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai TYO.
Project description by Takashige Yamashita Office
Children’s Forest is a nursery school to hold children between the ages of 0 to 5, planned on a forested hill near Mountain Fuji.
The site was filled with Hinoki trees when we first visited. The dappled sunlight penetrating scarcely through the branches cast plentiful light bubbles overlapping each other on the ground, from which we got inspired to design a sunlit place softly floating in the woods. Its topographical feature - the undulating slope and the hill rising up to 3-4 meters to the west of the site - was another important element to retain, as we believed such environmental aspects are significant for the children to experience as part of the education.
The rooms for each age group and other programs such as temporary care or teachers’ lounge are made as separate cubical units sitting on varying ground levels and angles, oriented to frame their own view of natural scenes around - a wide grass field spread out in front of the rooms of 2-5-year-olds for direct and easy access whenever children want to run around, along with the 8-meters-tall symbolic tree to sit under and the hill to climb with a small tunnel to crawl into; forest and woods embracing rooms that need a rather calm atmosphere; sky changing its color over the trees always visible from the open courtyard beside the hall, etc.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
Children’s Forest by Takashige Yamashita Office. Photograph by Kai Nakamura.
These volumes are interconnected inward by ramps and in-between spaces, creating an interior landscape where children can play, crawl, or climb in a more comfortable and safer condition even in bad weather. A multipurpose hall capable of holding up to 150 people is located in the center surrounded by room units that everyone can easily get together for daily playtime or events. Despite the large covering over the hall, the skylights on the eaves and the gaps appearing between the roof and box units allow natural light and glimpses of greenery to stream into the interior space and connect people inside visually and physically to the environment.
The open courtyard, furnished with a wooden deck, is accessible from the hall providing a safe playground, especially for the youngest members not yet ready to run around on a larger lawn. On the other side of the hall, older and more active children would enjoy climbing the bouldering, up where it connects to the backyard on a higher ground level, embraced by the forest.
Integrated with its rich natural context, we wish this garden of children provides a warm and healthy environment for the little ones to grow up with some good memories from the forest.
More information
Architects
Takashige Yamashita Office. Lead architects.- Takashige Yamashita, YoungAh Kang.
Collaborators
Structural Engineer.- Hiraiwa Structural Consultants.
MEP Engineer.- Nagano Engineering.
General Contractor.- Usuko Sangyo + Tonbo Sougo Kensetsu.
MEP Engineer.- Nagano Engineering.
General Contractor.- Usuko Sangyo + Tonbo Sougo Kensetsu.
Area
Site area.- 4,328.14 sqm.
Building area.- 1,109.17 sqm.
Total floor area.- 1,008.69 sqm.
Building area.- 1,109.17 sqm.
Total floor area.- 1,008.69 sqm.
Dates
February 2023.
Location
Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan.
Photography
Kai Nakamura. TYO.
Takashige Yamashita
Takashige Yamashita. Principal of Takashige Yamashita Office / Qualified first class architect in Japan. Obtained a Bachelors degree in Architecture from Tokai University in 2002, and a Master’s degree in Architecture from Tokyo University of Arts in 2005. After working for ‘Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA’ from 2005 until 2015, founded Takashige Yamashita Office. Currently a part-time lecturer at Tokai University and Kyoto University of the Arts.
YoungAh Kang. Graduated from the University of Toronto with BA in Architecture in 2009 and left MArch at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 to work at ‘Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA’. Upon completion of MArch (DRL) at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 2016, joined Takashige Yamashita Office in 2017. Currently a part-time lecturer at Tokyo Designer Gakuin.
Awards
・Japan Architecture of the Year 2021 Selected by the JIA「Clinic in the woods」（2021）
・Fukuyama Police Station Competition, 2nd place entry（2021）
・Kumamoto Artpolis Project - Everfield Wood Factory Competition, Finalist（2020）
・Taipei International Design Award「Toranoko Nursery」Bronze Prize（2019／Taiwan）
・Architecture Asia Awards for Emerging Architects「Toranoko Nursery」Gold Prize（2019／Malaysia）YoungAh Kang. Graduated from the University of Toronto with BA in Architecture in 2009 and left MArch at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 to work at ‘Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA’. Upon completion of MArch (DRL) at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 2016, joined Takashige Yamashita Office in 2017. Currently a part-time lecturer at Tokyo Designer Gakuin.
Awards
・Japan Architecture of the Year 2021 Selected by the JIA「Clinic in the woods」（2021）
・Fukuyama Police Station Competition, 2nd place entry（2021）
・Kumamoto Artpolis Project - Everfield Wood Factory Competition, Finalist（2020）
・Taipei International Design Award「Toranoko Nursery」Bronze Prize（2019／Taiwan）
・AIJ Young Architects Award for Selected Architectural Designs「Toranoko Nursery」（2019）
・Bauwelt Award 2019：First Works「Toranoko Nursery」Prize Winner（2019／Germany）
・Japan Architecture of the Year 2017 Selected by the JIA「Toranoko Nursery」（2017）
Exhibitions
・BAU 2019「Toranoko Nursery」（2019／Messe Muenchen／Germany）
・Presentation「Y project -NAR-」（2018／GA Gallery／Tokyo）
・ATARASHII KENCHIKU NO TANOSHISA「N project -2NO-」 (2018／Re-Sohko Gallery／Tokyo）
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