Nursery in Nagykovácsi: A Modern Nursery with Archetypical Form of Rural Houses

Completed in 2015, Nursery in Nagykovácsi is a public building and education project by Foldes Architects. This modern nursery is located in Hungary with 760 sqm in size. The archetypical form of rural houses is chosen to design the building and the scale of the village is also preserved during the design phase.

Design

The bases of the spatial system are the mall independent pavilions which consist of three functions: a surgery, a health visitor center, and a nursery. The small Piazzetta at the entrance is opened by shifting the volumes which also forming the intimate internal spaces, presenting present different exterior qualities. Via short glazed passageways, the building volumes are interconnected well.

Volumes

The partition of the different functions is also enabled by shifting the building volumes. All functions of the building are served by the entrance area, giving something back to the village. The covered external areas have an important role in the composition. In the volume, the nursery entrance is a wedge-like crack. The great and deep loggias from the southern side can protect the building interior from the summer heat, so the children also can sleep and play here.

Details

The contemporary formal language on these rural forms comes from the playful openings, roof, homogeneous materiality on the elevation, and hidden eaves. In the entrance area, the terracotta cover also appears floor covering and it can form benches too. This nursery is conceived to be a small village with a main square and alleys, a definite border and homogeneous character, and a scale that fits the village.