Nursery

Nagykovácsi, Hungary

Photo © Levente Sirokai

Architects: Földes Architects

Location: Nagykovácsi, Hungary
Year: 2015

Nagykovácsi, Hungary, 2015 During the design phase we strived to preserve the scales of the village. We chose the archetypical form of rural houses. Small independent pavilions were the bases of our spatial system which envelopes all three functions: a nursery, health visitor centre and a surgery. Shifting the volumes opened a small piazzetta at the entrance and intimate internal spaces were also formed which all present different exterior qualities. The volumes are interconnected via short glazed passageways.

Shifting of volumes also enabled the partition of the different functions. The entrance area serves all functions as well as the village as it acts as a meeting point for all. Covered external areas play a crucial role in forming. The entrance of the nursery is wedge-like crack in the volume. The southern side has great and deep loggias that protect the interior from the summer heat. Children may also play and sleep here protected from weather.

Hidden eaves, a homogeneous materiality on the elevation and the roof, and playful openings represent a contemporary formal language on these rural houses. The terracotta cover also appears in the entrance area as floor covering and suddenly forms benches as well.

We conceived the nursery to be a small village that has a main square and alleys; it has a definite border and homogeneous character; and has a scale that fits the village and also the small villagers inhabiting it.