Kita +

The Kita+ day care center in Lahr/Black Forest is part of the Public Park planned as part of the Lahr Regional Garden Show 2018. The wooden building designed by the Stuttgart firm se\arch houses a five-group day care center for children with enough space for over 100 children. The surprising size of the building, which is spanned by arched roofs and is reminiscent of a market hall, is a result of its mix of uses: it also includes a small civic center and a museum area – a perfect add-on to the neighboring reconstruction of a Roman strip building.
The project not only deployed natural and renewable building materials, but also focused on other aspects of ecology and building biology: for example, the roofs are extensively landscaped.

From the perspective of urban design, the architects were keen to create a gesture of harmonious coexistence. The low, wide building blends perfectly into its environment and creates a successful transition from nature to architecture. Indeed, transitions play an important role in the building as a whole: the colonnade on the south side links the interior and exterior; here children can play out of the rain or the summer sun.

All recreation rooms within the building are south-facing, and the function rooms are arranged on the northern side. Between the two is a wide distributor zone comprising wooden boxes for ancillary rooms such as the staff toilets or storeroom.

Washbasins and toilets from the Starck 3 series by Duravit installed in the sanitary areas underscore the building’s neat architecture.