Farming Kindergarten
Farming Kindergarten
VTN Architects
ARCHITECTS
VTN Architects
CONTRACTOR
Wind And Water House JSC
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECTS
Vo Trong Nghia, Takashi Niwa, Masaaki Iwamoto
PROJECT TEAM
Tran Thi Hang, Kuniko Onishi
GREEN BUILDING CONSULTANT
Melissa Merry Weather
CFD ANALYSIS
Environment Simulation inc.
GREEN BUILDING CONSULTANT
Melissa Merry Weather
CFD ANALYSIS
Environment Simulation Inc.
YEAR
2013
LOCATION
Biên Hòa, Vietnam
CATEGORY
Kindergarten
Text description provided by architect.
Vietnam historically an agricultural country is facing changes as it moves to a manufacturing based economy, taking its toll on the environment.
Increased droughts, floods and salinization jeopardize food supplies, while numerous motorbikes cause daily congestion and air pollution in the cities.
Rapid urbanization deprives Vietnamese children of green lands and playgrounds, thus relationship with nature.green roof as insulation, green facade as shading and solar water heating. These devices are designed visibly and play an important role in the children’s sustainable education.
Farming Kindergarten is a challenge to counter these issues. Located next to a big shoe factory, and designed for 500 children of the factory's workers, the building is conceived as a continuous green roof, providing food and agriculture experience to children, as well as an extensive playground to the sky.
The green roof is a triple-ring shape drawn with a single stroke, encircling three courtyards inside as safe playgrounds. Recently, an experimental vegetable garden was realized on its top.
Five different vegetables are planted in 200m2 garden for agriculture education.The green roof is a triple-ring shape drawn with a single stroke, encircling three courtyards inside as safe playgrounds. Recently, an experimental vegetable garden was realized on its top. Five different vegetables are planted in 200m2 garden for agriculture education.
All functions are accommodated under this roof. As the roof lowers to the courtyard it provides access to the upper level and vegetable gardens on top- the place where children learn the importance of agriculture and recover connection to nature.
The building is made of a continuous narrow strip with two side operable windows which maximize the cross ventilation and natural lighting.
Additionally, architectural and mechanical energy-saving methods are comprehensively applied including but not limited to: green roof as insulation, green facade as shading and solar water heating.
These devices are designed visibly and play an important role in the children’s sustainable education. Factory wastewater are recycled to irrigate greenery and flush toilets.
As a result, the kindergarten is operated without air conditioners in the classrooms despite being located in a harsh tropical climate. All functions are accommodated under this roof.
According to post-occupancy record issued 10 months after completion, the building saves 25% of energy and 40% of fresh water compared to baseline building performance, reducing its running cost greatly.
The building is designed for low-income factory workers' children, therefore construction budget is quite limited. The building is made of a continuous narrow strip with two side operable windows which maximize the cross ventilation and natural lighting.
Therefore, the combination of local materials (ex. bricks, tiles) and low-tech construction methods are applied, which also help minimize the environmental impact as well as promote local industry.
Thanks to simple rigid frame with economical materials, the construction cost per one square meter is only 500 USD including finishes and equipment, which is competitively cheap even within the Vietnamese market.
Vietnam historically an agricultural country is facing changes as it moves to a manufacturing based economy, taking its toll on the environment. Green roof as insulation, green facade as shading and solar water heating.
Increased droughts, floods and salinization jeopardize food supplies, while numerous motorbikes cause daily congestion and air pollution in the cities.
Farming Kindergarten is a challenge to counter these issues. Located next to a big shoe factory, and designed for 500 children of the factory's workers, the building is conceived as a continuous green roof, providing food and agriculture experience to children, as well as an extensive playground to the sky.
