Lapinmäki daycare centre

The building is a P2 fire class, wooden two-storey building. The load-bearing frame consists of CLT elements that will be left mostly visible on the inside, while the facades will be clad with vertical, painted panels of variable widths. Perforated window cladding supported by steel frames keeps out excess sunlight. The foundation and supporting walls are concrete, cast in place using a vertical board mould. Machine-seamed tin covers the roof, and the eaves and drainpipes are coated steel sheet.

Opening up towards the south, the plot is located in Haaga. Kangaspellontie street marks the plot’s northern edge, and its other neighbours are verdant residential plots and Kangaspelto park. Magnificent hardwood trees dot the western part of the plot. The location is in Haaga’s Kultareuna area, which has remarkable architecture and a notable cultural history and landscape.

The new building will replace the old daycare centre that has already been torn down, as the conditions of the foundation at the location allow for the most cost-effective construction. The understated architecture pays homage to the area’s protected milieu, which stems from the early 1960s. The compact building is positioned at the edge of the park’s open landscape in a pavilion-like manner. The location was picked to save the plot’s valuable trees, and the facade’s lamellae help the building blend into the surroundings.

Inside its simple cube like form, the building contains facilities designed to support modern and functional early childhood education. The facilities are on the “outer ring” of the building and arranged into general functional areas that support small group activities. Between these areas, a set of versatile rooms occupy the building’s central frame. These rooms provide dining, auxiliary and small group facilities and circle around the skylight in an open layout. The deep frame makes distances inside the building short and supports conversion for different uses.

Access to the building and its grounds is from the north, south and west. Maintenance traffc is separated from the dropoff/collection area for children. The main entrance and a small hall are located by the street to facilitate the organisation of evening activities. The food service kitchen and staff and technical facilities are accessed through the service area.

The centrally placed building is encircled by a yard. A playground section, currently located within the park, will be retained. While the section’s new boundaries will reduce its area, a new section of approx. 160 m2 will be connected to it. The playground equipment is distributed across functional areas in different parts of the yard.

The area is fenced in, but there is no division into separate areas for younger and older children. The yard slopes down towards the south, and a subtle embankment on the southern edge marks the yard’s boundaries where it joins the park. The yard’s existing trees will provide shade on sunny days. The discreet courtyard building will have materials in line with those of the main building.

Tree species that were popular in the Kultareuna area in the 1960s will also be planted along Kangaspellontie street.