Local company wins award for kindy design
Local Apata company, Mod Architecture, has won the ‘Education’ category of the Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects 2022 Waikato/Bay of Plenty awards. Their winning design was Te Puna Kindergarten, located on Minden Road.
The Kindergarten was under pressure to find new premises after the NZTA had an agreement to purchase their previous site to make way for a roading development. The new site was a small lot, located in a back corner, bounded on one side by rolling pasture, the rear with established trees, and commercial enterprise to the others. The relatively flat site has a great northern aspect, and ideal western car park access were perfect for the Kindergarten’s brief.
The Kindergarten required a new purpose-built building that could also serve the broader community outside operational hours.
The design consisted of two pavilions separated by a central spine that is the main entry. Northern light could enter a southern pavilion while also proving a clear delineation between the areas where the children should be and where they should not. After hours, community-based groups can use the southern pavilion without accessing the main building.
It is a modern take on a rural barn or ancillary building, responding to the neighbouring sites and the site’s history. Traditional barn-like materials such as timber and corrugated steel compliment and embed the notion of a modern farm building.
We used lightweight timber frame construction with some specific engineer design elements.
The building is designed with a high level of sustainability and cost-effective energy efficiency. In the Main Activity Area, a highly insulated concrete raft slab thermal mass stores heat gained from the northern aspect with the roofline creating optimal slab absorption of sunlight in winter and shade in summer.
Ventilating skylights on the southern roof plane allow heat to escape in summer while mitigating non-direct sunlight. End-to-end opening windows and doors also allow for natural cross-ventilation. The north-facing roof plane was pre-wired for future PV solar panel installation (later installed). High levels of roof and wall insulation were provided within the spaces available and within budget.
Keeping the children safe from potentially harmful building chemicals was key.
The New Zealand plantation Douglas Fir timber cladding is naturally durable and contains no wood preservatives. A similar thought process was applied to the decks with chemical-free, heat-treated plantation pine where children directly interact. Interior materials were chosen with low or no formaldehyde in resins and glues and low VOC paints for internal situations.
The judges’ comments include: “This joyful kindergarten is made up of two strong building forms that provide a clear and confident entry from a busy car park. Its contemporary shed-like appearance gives a nod to its rural neighbours. Inside, generous, light-filled spaces comprise a sociable and welcoming learning environment that is easily navigated at playtime and rush hour by small people, teachers, and caregivers. Te Puna Kindergarten is an asset to future generations creating a practical and playful space for tamariki that delights and inspires.”
Congratulations, Mod Architecture, on creating a durable, sustainable facility for our tamariki and community. Article supplied. PHOTOS: Wayne Tait Photography.