We have been involved in the ongoing project of a first time kindergarten located in Antalya, Turkey. The kindergarten has been designed on behalf of families and for their comfort needs.

The kindergarten area has been designed for 200 children staying at the hotel to respond to their eating, sleep and play needs. The design allows families to have a fun time in a safe and comfortable environment.

This project has been designed in an area covered with trees and surrounded by nature. The topography of the area allows children to be aware of their surroundings in a natural environment.

The building itself has been divided into different service and activity areas according to the age groups of children. The modular units have been designed for children’s indoor activities and also into sleeping rooms. In the centre of the project there is a large circular area (ampitheatre) where children can meet together in a large, unobstucted area. The topography and trees surround the children while they are playing together. When necessary, the modular separators allow different activities. Closed, open and semi-outdoor space bring and hold together all of the functions of the area in a secure, inward-moving and more defined space.

Our first aim while designing the project was to make an unfussed, high-quality structure in a coastal location which is surrounded by pine trees. We wanted to creata a different type of structure which was free of the issues which usually constrain architectural planning and design in areas of settlements. We needed to establish a structure which fitted well into the local natural environment without damaging the trees. The steel floor construction surface has been designed according to the natural topography of the region on a main column withour grids. Above the main column a steel plate has been hung into the air. This surface constitiues the backbone of the entire structure. All facades and spaces have been formed according to the needs of this structure.

The building exists as a grift in the natural area surrounded by the existing trees. In the final touches of the design, linear natural wood veneers were used to provide transparency of the forest floow. On the other side of the structure there are cooling systems to combat the hot climate of the area. The space generated by the rotating corridors between the exterior and interior areas provides a strengthening effect on the overall structure.

Mechnical and electrical recycling details were used in the design without compromising sustainability and by using the natural lighting and topographical advantages of the area. In addition, the area has been converted into a special design which will be used as a play area and an area which can be exhibited to children.