CRECHE AQUARELLE

Programme: Reappropriation of an urban wasteland, new construction of a kindergarten for 56 kids, redevelopment of the sidewalk and garden.

About: The “aquarelle kindergarten” is a public facility integrated into contrat de quartier durable Abbaye in the municipality of Forest. Integrated into a formerly industrial urban fabric, this new facility is located on a wasteland crossing between chaussée de Neerstalle and rue de la Teinturerie. The kindergarten is deployed rue de la Teinturerie. The sidewalk is widened to the right of the kindergarten, redesigned with a planted “rain garden”, a bench and bicycle racks to promote soft modes of transport. The compactness of the building makes it possible to free up a large garden in the heart of the island both for children and to accommodate a shared vegetable garden project. Wide of more than 20 meters, the “rue de la Teinturerie façade” finished suturing the island by integrating perfectly into the continuity of the neighboring buildings, thanks to its material, the brick, and to the rhythm of the built volumes. The 56 children are divided into 4 sections that are wide open towards the garden for the two sections on the ground floor, and towards a large terrace for the two sections upstairs. The colors and materials used for the sections are simple and natural: clay on the walls and wooden bases. Both the interior and exterior are largely glazed to allow an abundance of natural light and the continuity of visual links. This new kindergarten offers a high-performance and sensitive reception area, so that the little ones can grow up there in s