SPIRALLING GREEN ROOF
23 Apr 2014
A spiralling three-storey green roofed community kindergarten in China provides children with a direct connection to nature.
United Design Group (UDG) China recently started construction on Xieli Garden, a green roofed community kindergarten in Wuxi. The spiralling three-story structure wraps around a central courtyard, while its sloping green roof connects the street level to the upper floors.
The proposed kindergarten is filled with natural light and surrounded with lush vegetation to provide children with a direct connection to nature.
Surrounded by high-rise apartments, the three-story kindergarten anchors the corner of a busy intersection. To protect the children from traffic and city noise, the architects placed the outdoor playground and flag-rose field at the centre of an oval-shaped courtyard. A curved ramp provides quick access from the sidewalk to the third floor and reinforces the spiralling shape of the building.
To maximise natural light, each floor is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glazing and nine rectangular skylights punctuate the green roof. On the south side of the building, UDG added another courtyard nestled between the ramp and the traffic-shielding, vegetated earth berms. The project is slated for completion in 2015.