158_AQUARELLE_nursery

This project, a nursery for 56 young children, was named “Aquarelle” by the municipality of Forest. It was the winning design of a public competition organized by the commune and is part of larger urban strategy known as the “Abbaye sustainable neighborhood”.

Integrated into an urban fabric that was formerly industrial, this new facility is located on a through-lot between Chaussée de Neerstalle and Rue de la Teinturerie.

The winning scheme proposed to place the building on the secondary street, Rue de la Teinturerie. By doing this, it was possible to widen the sidewalks in front of the main entrance, enhanced by a tree, vegetation, a large public bench, and some bicycle racks.

The ambition of this was to offer a welcoming urban experience to the community, encourage “soft mobility” and offer a place that fosters encounters between neighbors.

The compactness of the building makes it possible to free up a large inner-block garden, both for the children and to host a shared vegetable garden for the community. The façade, which is over 20 meters wide, offers a seamless continuity with the neighboring buildings thanks to its brick material and the rhythm of its built volumes. Despite the width of the façade and the low height, the various articulations offer a more vertical composition, which echoes the proportions of the small industrial houses in the vicinity.

Inside the building, the 56 children are divided into four sections: two sections on the ground floor opening widely onto the garden, and two on the upper floor opening onto a large terrace. The floor plans are simple and pragmatic, which also offers flexibility and adaptability.

The colors and materials used in the sections are simple and natural: clay on the walls and wooden baseboards. Both the interior and exterior are extensively glazed to allow abundant natural light and continuous visual connections.

A project designed around the well-being of children, which also manages to spark the imagination of local residents and passers-by.