Zöldike Nursery Flourishes with Archikon's Sustainable Design

Zöldike Nursery: Designing for Children with Site-Specific Sensibility

Designing spaces for children requires a special kind of sensibility that goes beyond a one-size-fits-all template. Instead, it requires careful research and listening to the needs of the users. The Zöldike Nursery project is a great example of this approach. The area of Budafok, Hungary, where the nursery is located, has a unique history of subterranean construction, with an intricate network of cellars attributed to the Romans. The area's specificity became rendered invisible by the suburban sprawl, but the renovated flues of the cellars have now become a defining feature of the project.

The design team at Archikon Architects saw the historic significance of the site and incorporated it into their plans, using the circular patterns of the perforated concrete rings to lend a playful character to the exterior composition and appearance of the built elements. The massing of the nursery is primarily informed by principles of sustainability and security, favouring an introverted sequence of spaces and built elements that not only create a range of diverse quality spaces for children to play in but also allow them to do so safely.

The layout of the buildings follows the natural sloping and orientation of the land, optimizing solar exposure. The classrooms and their cantilevering canopies are covered with an extensive green roof, encircling the private interior playgrounds. Inside, the architects made material and spatial arrangement decisions that promote positive interactions with the built environment. The project contains a series of interesting features that hope to engage the imagination of the children, such as the refurbished flues that pierce the rubber-cladded exterior playgrounds, leaving space for child-initiated and directed play. Another feature is the tactile plinth encircling the building and incorporating the windows in children's height range, creating introverted nooks for play.

The Zöldike Nursery project is not just a formalist project; it is the direct outcome of the recontextualization of knowledge. The architects paid special attention to material and colour choices, prioritizing high-quality finishes instead of an extravagant public exterior. This approach not only helps to strengthen the relationship of the local youth with the subterranean history of the site but also creates an environment that fosters curiosity and positive interactions with the built environment.

In conclusion, Zöldike Nursery is a prime example of how designing for children requires a site-specific sensibility. The project incorporates the area's unique history of subterranean construction, prioritizes sustainability and security, and pays special attention to material and spatial arrangement decisions that promote positive interactions with the built environment. The result is a whimsical and playful space that engages children's imagination while creating a safe and nurturing environment.

Architects: ARCHIKON ARCHITECTS

Area: 1466 m²

Year: 2022

Photographs:Balázs Danyi

Lead Architects: Csaba Nagy, Pólus Károly, Dorottya Kassai, Krisztina Horváth, Ádám Pásztor, Szilveszter Rády, Zsófia Senánszky

Structural Engineer: ÉKI Terv Kft., Tibor Pintér - ÉKI Terv Kft.

Building Engineering: Agorex Kft., Csaba Makáry - Agorex Kft.

Electrical Engineer: Zone-Plan Kft., György Kapitor - Zone-Plan Kft.

Contractor: Archibona Kft.