A Whale Story Daycare

A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao

A WHALE STORY DAYCARE

J.R ARCHITECTS

ARCHITECTS
J.r Architects

LEAD ARCHITECT
Cho-jen, Huang

AREA
1268 M²

YEAR
2019

CATEGORY
Mixed Use Architecture, Educational Architecture

CLIENT
Pingtung County Government

DESIGN TEAM
Tzu-yin, Yang, Haw-jiun

PHOTOGRAPHS
Yu-chen, Tsao

LOCATION
Pingtung, Taiwan

Text description provided by architect.

This is JR Architects’ first built public competition project. The site is located in the countryside of Southern Taiwan. The goal was to demolish the existing imminently dangerous school and replace it with a multi-functional campus that can both accommodate children education and senior day care.

A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao

‘Whale’ is the design concept of the project since the site is adjacent to the Taiwan Strait. The massing symbolizes a giant whale swimming in and embrace the site to guard the children.

The whale tail coming out of the water becomes the entrance of the school; its body is taken shape by concrete facets and along with design elements like landscape, stairs and slide, it becomes the back of the whale as well as one of the favorite features of children, which further manifests into volume and space.

A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao

The courtyard type of classroom layout is inspired from pectoral -fins that serve as a windbreak for the northeast downhill wind, and it also frames the view towards the ocean for the classrooms and public plaza.

Underneath the ocean-color ceiling, there are vertical concrete walls in the hallway to obstruct monsoon and harsh western sunlight. The punctures on the walls resemble the bubbles in the ocean and help set up a hide-and-seek playground for the children in the shade.

A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao

The rooftop platform also serves as an emergency high ground during tsunamis. The large staircase indicates the direction and guides people’s eyesight and movements towards the top of the roof.

When rising above the levee, one can start sensing the breeze from the downhill wind along with the rhythm created from the tidal waves and the immense scenery of land and sea that juxtapose into the vision and imagination of the seaside campus.

A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao


A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao
A Whale Story Daycare
© Yu-Chen, Tsao


A Whale Story Daycare
Site plan
A Whale Story Daycare
Ground Floor Plan


A Whale Story Daycare
East elevation
A Whale Story Daycare
North elevation
A Whale Story Daycare
South elevation
A Whale Story Daycare
West elevation


A Whale Story Daycare
Section