Shichigahama Toyama nursery school by Takahasi Ippei ©Takahasi Ippei|The school in the Miyagi coastal area was destroyed in a 2011 earthquake ©Takahasi Ippei|The highly reflective cladding subverts traditional concepts of schools ©Takahasi Ippei|The interiors look onto the courtyard through walls of glass doors to maximise the flow of natural light ©Takahasi Ippei|One side of the building slides back to reveal a lounge at the front of the nursery in order to encourage the local community to congregate ©Takahasi Ippei|Hibinosekkei + Youji No Shiro’s DS Nursery ©Studio Bauhaus & Ryuji Inoue|Chalkboards walls allow the children to do what they’ve always wanted to do – scribble on the walls! ©Studio Bauhaus & Ryuji Inoue|The roof canopy provides a shaded area over the decking so the children can eat outside ©Studio Bauhaus & Ryuji Inoue|The central garden can be easily accessed from around the building to encourage children to play among the trees and shrubs ©Studio Bauhaus & Ryuji Inoue|The structure is surrounded by rice fields and the concept of wind was central to the design ©Studio Bauhaus & Ryuji Inoue|The Aikominori Nursery School by Fukae Yasuyuki Architects ©Tomoki Hahakura|The interiors are defined by a white walls and timber ©Tomoki Hahakura|The facade features horizontal slit windows, while the interior walls opens straight onto the courtyard ©Tomoki Hahakura|The open-structure of the corridor-style building provides strong visual connectivity ©Tomoki Hahakura|The Aikominori Nursery School sits near the mountains in the south of Kyoto ©Tomoki Hahakura|The building is subdivided by bars of storage closets and restrooms ©Tomoki Hahakura|Rhythmdesign and Case Real’s Hakemiya Nursery School ©Yoshikazu Shiraki|The outdoor space is divided into a series of small-scale courtyards ©Yoshikazu Shiraki|The building has been designed to suit the children’s activities of eating, sleeping and playing ©Yoshikazu Shiraki|The palette of soft colours and light woods creates a warm, homely environment for the children ©Yoshikazu Shiraki|Small-scale rooms help to make the interiors feel more homely ©Yoshikazu Shiraki|©Yoshikazu Shiraki||
From the country that brought us the iconic Hello Kitty stationary comes a hoard of nurseries that forgo garish colours and bean bags in favour of sleek finishes and playful designs.
