Description

In Hannover, the Postfossil Ecowood Kindergarten accommodates 70 children and
provides living proof of how an ecological benchmark can contribute to a
groundbreaking learning environment, where the building design and construction
ethos form the backbone to the school’s environmental agenda. The main ethos of
the Postfossil Ecowood project is that children growing up in the catchment area
of the kindergarten will become some of the first members of a postfossil
generation, and that the kindergarten building will be an inspiration to this
postfossil community.

The new kindergarten replaced an existing building of the same use from the
1950s. The new structure provided an opportunity to re-think the notion of
early-years learning as well as creating a community hub with a focus on
ecological sustainability. By creating a learning environment with such a high
environmental standard, the hope is that the children will not settle for less
in the future!

The vision for an environmentally integrated kindergarten is borne out through
the creation of a building that is at one with its surroundings; curved
classroom elements link the building and park, reflecting the curvilinear tree
canopies. Within the curved spaces nestles a small group room, echoing the
spaces created by tree routes and creating an inspirational space for classes to
gather that is inside, yet connected to the outside landscape.

As with many Passivhaus projects, the predominant construction material used is
timber, both in the laminated timber frame and the external cladding. The
building utilises a relatively new type of sustainable heat-treated softwood
timber which improves life and increases durability of European softwood to
approximately 30 years, without chemical preservative or painting. The northside
of the building is a virtually solid wall, dissolving into glazing on the
southside. Triple-glazed units make the most of thermal gain in combination with
a highly insulated (400mm thick) timber frame structure. Although ventilation is
mechanical, there are still openable windows above external doors to provide
additional ventilation if required. The cost of constructing the kindergarten
was €1800 per m² in 2007. Although this initial build cost may be more expensive
than a typical kindergarten construction, savings are offset in running costs
over some time. In addition the building offers added value to the school
community through its environmental standards.

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Originally published in: Prue Chiles (ed.), Leo Care, Howard Evans, Anna Holder, Claire Kemp, Building Schools: Key Issues for Contemporary Design, Birkhäuser, 2015.