Oasis
Source: evnmeg.com
German educator Friedrich Froebel opened the first kindergarten in Brandenburg, Germany in 1837. In the 1830-1840, he developed his vision of the kindergarten based on the ideas of the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and later the Swiss educator Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Later, kindergartens and children’s education centers began to stand out in Japan.
Fuji kindergarten, not far from Tokyo, is today considered one of the best kindergartens in the world by various standards. There are no walls and children can climb and run in the large area without obstacles. This is just a dream for many children. We will see such an educational dream in Armenia in the near future. Archangel architectural company, following the Japanese example, has designed and started construction work on the “Oasis” children’s development center, unique in the region. Company director Artak Knyazyan told YEREVAN about the peculiarities of the unique building under construction.
Narrated by Artak Knyazyan
The center’s unique solution comes from a common problem. The area was small, we tried to move the green area and the playground to the roof. We have playgrounds in two parts of the building. The floor of the roof is made of special specialized rubber. Even if the child falls, it will not be damaged.
Children are always visible to teachers; besides, we have provided interesting entertainment solutions for them. In the inner courtyard is our conservatory, which is glazed and allows for natural lighting from all sides for the whole area. The kindergarten is surrounded by leafy trees, and the stained-glass windows help to keep children’s eyes close to the colors of nature.
It is impossible to find sharp corners in the center. The selected curved shapes and patterns, as well as the predominance of stained glass, make the whole structure elastic and light, emphasizing its functional significance. We designed the building with a curved composition so that it dictates the movement of the children. Even if the kids decide to run too fast, they can’t hurt themselves because all the shapes and molds are curved.
In order to maintain the connection with nature, when designing the structure, oval-shaped openings were also planned, which resemble small natural oases. The building is abundant with greenery. Of course, we also took into account plant species and excluded prickly, allergic plants. By the way, the final name is not “Oasis” yet, it just became a working term in our team. Perhaps we will find another name for the development center in the future.
Every development center or kindergarten has a function hall. With us, it is also beyond the old traditional standards. We have a convertible stage that can be installed right in the conservatory if needed. Here, in addition to one-of-a-kind events, there will be an opportunity to organize movie screenings, cartoon viewings, and other developmental events.
The two-story center with a total area of more than 2,500 square meters, designed for about 120 children, is located in the area adjacent to the newly constructed six buildings on Yeghvard highway. It has a basement, a shelter, classrooms, group rooms, separate bedrooms, which are provided with natural light on both sides. The building is surrounded by high-rise buildings, from where it is possible to see the roof of the center. If the children of the residents of the buildings surrounding the center visit “Oasis”, the parents will have the opportunity to watch the children directly from their apartments. The center will be put into operation in a maximum of one year.
