The master's thesis presents a conceptual design project for a modern public kindergarten, offering a comprehensive approach to the architectural, spatial, landscaping, and pedagogical aspects of early childhood education. It is a conceptual solution for an eight-class kindergarten located at the edge of the Novo Brdo residential neighbourhood in Ljubljana, where urban development meets natural landscape.
From an architectural perspective, the thesis proposes a thoughtful interpretation of the pavilion typology, which harmoniously follows the natural topography and enables a fragmented, well-lit, and spatially dynamic structure. This design creates diverse spatial atmospheres that provide children with a sense of security, clarity, and freedom of movement. The pedagogical contribution of the project stems from integrating modern developmental and psychological insights into how children experience space, emphasizing experiential learning, play, movement, and contact with nature as essential elements of early education. Space is conceived as an active educational tool that supports children's emotional, social, and cognitive development.
In addition to the building design, the project also focuses on the outdoor layout, which includes a kindergarten playground with a forest classroom, a fruit and vegetable garden, and a rabbit hutch, as well as a public sports and recreational area at the southern edge of the site, directly connecting to the existing neighbourhood. In this way, the kindergarten is not an isolated unit, but an integral part of the urban fabric of the settlement. The design encourages community engagement, intergenerational interaction, and shared use of space, thus strengthening the social fabric of the environment.
This thesis does not merely develop an architectural solution for a kindergarten but creates a space of coexistence, learning, and inclusion that transcends the boundaries of institutional care and becomes part of the broader social and landscape context.
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