Doshisha Kindergarten | Nikken Sekkei

■Site planning for a historic site

This project involves the relocation and new construction of Doshisha Kindergarten, a historic private kindergarten in Kyoto. To commemorate its 120th anniversary, the school moved from Doshisha University’s Imadegawa Campus to a site next to and east of Kyoto Imperial Palace. The palace, having served as the residence and governmental seat of the emperor for over a thousand years, is now a beloved park with abundant seasonal nature. The building layout was intentionally crafted to blend seamlessly into this historic site, giving the impression that it has stood there for many decades.

Care was given to preserve the ancient trees, earthen walls, and wooden gates that have been part of the landscape for centuries. The playground was strategically placed on the west side of the property to enjoy the lush greenery of Kyoto Imperial Palace as a borrowed landscape. The building was segmented and designed with gabled roofs in consideration of Kyoto’s traditional streetscape, and five classrooms were arranged facing the center of the playground. At the heart of the site are, a tori-niwa (passage garden) hall connecting east and west, lockers at the entrance marking the starting point of a child’s day, and a staff room for monitoring the children. These elements are interconnected by a semi-outdoor engawa (veranda) space, utilizing traditional Japanese architectural methods to create an enriched environment that encourages play and learning, both indoors and outdoors.

■Materials and forms authentic to Doshisha

Doshisha Kindergarten is operated by “The Doshisha,” a comprehensive educational institution with 14 schools, including universities, junior and senior high schools, elementary schools, and a kindergarten. The campus is notable for its numerous cultural assets that blend Western and Japanese architectural styles, featuring red brick walls and traditional tile roofs.

By making use of the inherent qualities of materials such as smoked roof tiles, red bricks, and wood, the design pays homage to the campus’s historical landscape, preserved since the school’s foundation. Concrete walls were covered in brick for a stately appearance, wooden structural beams were crafted from small-diameter hinoki cypress for a lightweight impression, white plaster was used on the gables and storehouses to blend in with the nearby buildings, and the slides and wash basins were hand-polished for a touch of artisanal craftsmanship. Overtly child-like designs for the walls, fittings, and furniture were avoided, opting instead for a minimalist use of materials that allows children to invent their own play.

This blend of Japanese and Western design harmonizes with Kyoto’s cityscape, reflecting the ethos of early childhood education that has evolved over 120 years.

■Connecting activities with an integrated indoor and outdoor environment

Doshisha Kindergarten emphasizes “learning through experience,” necessitating spaces where children can easily transition between classrooms, playrooms, and the playground.

Focus was placed on children’s activities, crafting an integrated indoor and outdoor environment that encourages free exploration across the school grounds, independent of the season or whether they are indoors or outdoors. The nature-rich playground, hall, and classrooms are interconnected through terraces and engawas (verandas), and the wooden fittings between the classrooms and playground remain open throughout the year, closing only in cases of extreme weather. Children can roam around readily, enjoying their time in a space filled with natural light and breezes.

■Integrating centenarian trees into the school

Trees over 100 years old remained on the site. Therefore, we designed a second playground, with stairs encircling the existing trees, an open-air terrace on the second floor, and a slide leading down to the playground.

To precisely map the location of the trees, a 3D point cloud survey was conducted, and the data integrated with the BIM model. Any interferences between the existing trees and the sloping roofs and eaves were carefully checked. Through various measures such as reversing a few foundation beams to protect its roots, children can interact closely with nature while ensuring the trees’ health.

■The “interlocking truss” delicately enclosing the classrooms and terrace

In the classrooms and expansive veranda terrace where children aged 4-6 spend a majority of their time, we opted for genuine “solid wood” over industrial products such as laminated timber, specifically small-diameter materials suitable for the children’s scale. 120mm square hinoki wood was used as the primary material to construct a delicate “interlocking truss” overhead, designed to conceal the metal fittings. To obscure the presence of a neighboring five-story apartment building, high sidelights were set in place to bring in natural light through the wooden framework, and ventilation screens and high windows installed throughout.

■Creating rich experiences for children through “tradition, memory, and experience”

With a focus on enduring value rather than transient trends, the architecture aspires to nurture the daily interactions between teachers and children. Such an environment will provide children with rich “formative experiences,” supporting the continuation of Doshisha Kindergarten’s educational values well into the future.

Project name (English): Doshisha Kindergarten
Purpose: Kindergarten
Location: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Site area (m2): 2,258.09
Total floor area (m2): 1,057.70
Number of floors: 1 basement floor, 2 above-ground floors, 1 mechanical penthouse
Eave height/maximum height (m): 5.570/7.920
Main structure: Steel-reinforced concrete with partly wooden structure
Completion month/year: February 2020

Client name (English):The Doshisha
Lead architect: NIKKEN SEKKEI LTD
Main scope: Architectural design and site supervision
Construction Contractor: MILANO CO., LTD.
Photo credit: KAZUAKI MICHISHITA