Catching the Sun: Day-Care Centre in Frankfurt

Riedberg is a newly created district of Frankfurt, located around 8 km northwest of the centre. Since 2001, living space and the accompanying infrastructure for 16,000 people have been developed here. The area now has two primary schools and ten day-care centres. The newest one is known as KiTa Königsblick: it opened in June 2017.

Giving special consideration to daylight and the position of the sun, the architects developed a U-shaped, plastered massive structure that surrounds a yard to the south. Towards the southwest, the building is diminished to a single storey, thus ensuring more sunlight in the yard. A planted roof provides efficient insulation for the roofing material and serves to retain water. Ceiling-high glazing of the post-and-beam façade on the side facing the yard catches the sunlight and creates a connection to the outdoors. Visually, the garden extends to the adjacent public green space. All the group rooms are south-facing and have direct access to the outdoors. The groups whose rooms are located on the upper level can reach the garden directly via an open stairway on the façade.

Ancillary rooms and access areas have been arranged on the other side, which faces the neighbouring buildings. These three sides feature a plastered perforated façade enlivened by accents in orange and yellow. Triple-glazed windows, narrow window frames and super-effective heat insulation create a thick shell for the building. A ventilation system with night cooling and a heat pump provide good air quality inside and decrease heat loss from ventilation. In the bright foyer, an open stairway with integrated seating links the two levels. Good lighting and fittings in shades of orange and yellow make for a friendly, communicative atmosphere outside the group rooms as well.