In cooperation with the BE LIVE team we presented a kindergarten and primary school project at an open architecture competition and won third place.

The idea for this project is preservation of the existing natural framework with the new building organically integrated in it. Here the scale of spaces and volumes depends on the elements of the natural setting and the architectural task. The entire choreography of the environment and building spaces spins around gathering places of different intensity and purpose, essential for human socialization. This is done to meet shared as well as individual needs of a growing person. We give due respect to the child’s personal space considering the inclusiveness of spaces and the educational process. We sometimes ‘frame’ nature and create intermediate spaces with different functions, such as mini-gardens, safe and cosy courtyards for sleeping in the open air for kindergarten kids, or outdoor classes for primary school, play among trees or a quiet time in the library between, before or after classes.
Perceiving the scale of an adult and a child, interior, exterior, play facilities, landscape, plants, structures, light, shadows, noise and silence, the architecture stretches between these elements and qualities, merging with each other and becoming a kind of microcosm for the kindergarten and primary school community.
The whole building consists of four volumes grouped by different accessibility and public functions: community-educational spaces, accessible to everyone, and educational-supervision ones, accessible only to students, children and staff. The spaces are interactive in relation to each other as well as to the environment.
To give the place more authenticity, the central square and each of the courtyards has a landmark: a shelter providing rest and weather protection, with smaller educational game elements around.
Taking into account the natural context and following the ideas of sustainability, the building design features partially wooden structures shown in the interior. The work also involves creation and adaptation of prefabricated wooden facade systems allowing faster, cleaner and quieter construction processes, respecting human as well as other needs

Project type: Public

Status: Competition, 3st place

Area: 15777 m²

Year: 2024

Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
DESIGN TEAM: Architecture, plot and landscape solutions: UAB INBLUM, Laura Malcaitė, Margarita Podagelytė, Dmitrij Kudin, Justė Žvirblytė, Dmytro Novikov

Visualizations: Laurynas Liberis
Greenery: Ele Kalvelė
Constructions: Arvydas Sungaila (UAB Invila)
HVAC: Be Live (UAB Baltic Engineers)
Landmark at the school main entrance: Vladas Suncovas