Hikari no Ko Nursery School｜Abax Architects

A new wooden small-scale childcare facility was constructed on a former residential site adjacent to a kindergarten. The first floor houses the nursery, while the second floor contains a multipurpose room. Since buses transporting children enter the kindergarten playground daily, the new site required a space that serves both as a bus drop-off and pick-up area and a waiting area for the children.

Accordingly, the nursery’s floor plan is designed with a curved form to accommodate the bus’s turning radius. Additionally, facing the JR railway tracks, a corridor is placed on the innermost side to enhance sound insulation and minimize disturbance to the children’s nap times.

The children spend their day in a warm environment surrounded by wood, with natural light gently filtering through wooden sashes, warmly welcoming both the children and their parents during pick-up times.