Fuji Kindergarten in Tachikawa, Tokyo in Japan is considered one of the greenest schools in the world.
While many construction companies and planners cut down trees to create more space, Tezuka architects instead centred a special annexe around a giant zelkova tree that had been partially destroyed during a massive typhoon. The result is a natural jungle gym in keeping with the school’s Montessori ethos, which focuses on development and learning through play.
The architects took care to create a school that feels as though it has no dividing walls. The ‘ring-around-a-tree’ annexe, comprising seven staggered floor plates on columns and connected by stairways, is used for English-language classrooms, a bus shelter and a play area. The children can interact daily with the tree’s branches and foliage and are further protected by rubber matting on the floors.
Half of the structure is enclosed, while the other half is exposed to the external environment. The glass enclosed unit houses two classrooms, each taking up one floor.
Category: Spring 2015