Chuon Chuon Kim Kindergarten

TRANSFORMS AN OLD TOWN HOUSE INTO A KINDERGARTEN The urban fabric in fast growing city is being stretched to its limits, new buildings rise, and old buildings are demolished or adapted to a new function. The adaptation of existing building always accompanied by ambitious demands for function and aesthetic. Our mission is to convert the existing townhouse, while retaining its structural elements, into a vibrant and animated kindergarten. Drawing inspiration from traditional Vietnamese playscapes, of which are easily found in children drawings but not in the setting of Saigon urban fabric. A typical shed roof house, an expansive rice field, a lush green forest…etc are simply a depiction of what a child is yearning for in a city. That is a place where children naturally feel more comfortable for it is related to their size, offering them a sense of safety and freedom to explore their surroundings. Inspired, and with a mentality to create a kinder”play”garden, the architects convert and organize each programmatic blocks to fit within a specific yet common building form-a shed. The idea is to create buildings (houses) within a building (house). At the same time, it is a positive respond toward the urban development of the city to create a contemporary architecture based on the long standing cultural & historical value of the place. Chuồn Chuồn Kim kindergarten education program originated from the play-based education approach, of which encourage children to explore and develop their personality naturally. Hence, by providing a cluster of small spaces, the architecture stimulate and inspire the children to go out and discover the world in their own personal way. Confined within a limit space area, the flexible spatial organization is a direct respond to the programmatic requirement and the educational experience the architects want to offer.