Kindergarten YELLOW GIRAFFE

The kindergarten is situated in the Kedrovy quarter of Novaya Borovaya, near Minsk. Our goal was to design a recognizable kindergarten, which, using the organization of the space itself, would foster harmony in the child and illustrate respect for their desires and needs.

Our architects aimed to create a kindergarten with a non-standard welcoming space where children would go joyfully, and every nook would encourage them to dream and create.

The building silhouette was inspired by children’s drawings of houses. During the design process, the drawings transformed into a more intricate form. However, the image of children’s drawings is still recognizable.

It’d taken us a long time to find an original façade image, and it came suddenly. The inspiration was the Skittles dragee, scattered on a white sheet of paper.

1. Lobby                                                                                                                 5. Kitchen premises
2. Principal’s Office                                                                                             6. Locker room
3. WC                                                                                                                    7. Kindergarten room
4. First-aid room                                                                                                    8. Pantry

9. Gymnastics room
10. Special equipment room
11. Assembly Hall
12. Study

The entrance to the kindergarten was designed as a two-story portal. Thanks to this solution, we could create a spacious double-height lobby with a generous glazing area. The transition from home to kindergarten is a crucial moment for a child. Typically, this process happens fast as parents drop off their children at the kindergarten, change them quickly in a stuffy locker room, and hand them over to their educator.

We decided to reinvent this farewell procedure and create an expansive space for it, with a play area. That is a place for children to adjust to kindergarten, where they can play, interact with each other, and show their parents what they’ve picked up. It’s also a great opportunity to meet new friends. To achieve that, our team designed a large giraffe sculpture, a two-story spiral slide, and a climbing wall to enhance the area at the entrance.

The group cells have two zones: an active zone and a sleep zone. Wooden slats visually separate them, but children sometimes use the space beyond quiet hours.

On the second floor, there are group cells with a unique layout. Each room has a mezzanine above the bedroom area, which children can use for games or classes.

Along the perimeter and in the floor of the mezzanine, we provided areas with stretched nets that serve as jumping and gaming zones and prevent children from falling.

The mezzanine is free of decor and toys, which provokes children to come up with games for themselves: build castles, play on a net, or sit in a circle and tell each other stories.

We aimed to create an enjoyable and interactive interior for kids. To achieve this, we created a playful infographic featuring African animals that kids can interact with, like taking pictures. These animals are present in various areas such as the sleeping zone, assembly hall, sports z, and even the Principal’s Office.

Premise indication infographics are designed as laconic contours.

We designed the sports and assembly halls to be bright and spacious, featuring large windows and white walls. Thanks to these techniques, a feeling of lightness and airiness is created.

The sports hall provides a lot of free space for active games, so that the children, running, do not interfere with each other. We accentuated the wall with sports equipment: it was painted in dark gray, and marine-themed graphics were applied.

When designing landscaping around the territory perimeter, we placed eight sites with canopies and high-quality safe equipment.

At the entrance to the territory, we provided a parking canopy for children’s transport, where parents can leave bicycles and scooters for a while.

In addition to the standard playgrounds for each kindergarten room, we provided a central area with large gaming equipment. Along the site perimeter, we designed a track with children-sized traffic signs.

Behind the kindergarten, we designed a sports area and outdoor vegetable gardens with small garden beds, which are in great demand among children. Here they can grow and study new plants together with the tutor.

Yellow Giraffe Kindergarten is a modern and up-to-date project. The image of the building created according to it corresponds to the character of its users, and, at the same time, solves its functional tasks. And façade and interior solutions adhere to the basic principles initially laid down in the design.

We believe that we managed to create a comfortable and high-quality environment for the children’s development, which forms a sense of harmony and beauty, freedom, and respect. It was essential for us to create a space for children, which would cause interest in the world and encourage them to dream and create.