kindergarten HOPEFUL

Architecture Thesis architektura diploma diploma project Gdansk kindergarten kindergarten design Refugees student project ukraine

HOPEFUL

The kindergarten with a Green Atrium. A Friendly Space

for Ukrainian Refugees' Children on Tuwim Street in Gdańsk-Aniołki

Subject: The Help Center with a Kindergarten for Refugee Children

Place: Gdańsk Aniołki, Poland

Semester: VIII

Year: 2023

Type: Diploma | Architecture competition

Place: 1st place

Contest holder: WA PG | PZFD Trójmiasto

Designer | Architect: Zuzanna Mówińska

Situation 1:500

The diploma thesis aims to develop a concept for a refugee-friendly kindergarten for children from Ukraine. The project assumes the construction of a public kindergarten building located on Tuwim Street in the Aniołki district of Gdańsk. The urban planning developed in the sixth semester also includes a collective residential building with temporary housing units, but it is not the subject of detailed project.

The kindergarten includes the design of playrooms with facilities, as well as additional rooms such as sensory rooms and music therapy rooms. An important element of the project is to assist children in adapting to their new place of residence, which is why the facility offers rooms for child psychologists, speech therapists, and Polish and English language classes. An important aspect of the project is the introduction of nature into the interior, through the design of a green atrium (a symbol of hope), which is the central point of the building. Playrooms are located with a view of a centrally growing tree, which refers to the project's name "Hopeful".

The facility's form resembles a group of houses with a gable roof, which is a reference to the character of the surrounding buildings. The scale of the building and its openness to the green garden from the southeast, away from the street, creates a friendly and safe space for children.

The project focuses on creating a preschool for refugee children, along with a collective housing facility and assistance for families from Ukraine. The main idea of the project, called "Around Hope," is to help people affected by the hardships of war in their process of acclimatization. Children, who are particularly vulnerable to the trauma associated with conflict and sudden displacement from home, are the primary beneficiaries. The project aims to provide the youngest ones with a chance for a fresh start in a place where they can feel safe and stable. The assistance center with a preschool is intended to offer refugees a semblance of a normal life that has been disrupted by armed conflict in their home country.

The project reflects human solidarity and support for those facing challenging life circumstances. The main inspiration for the project was Czesław Niemen's song "Coś, co kocham najwięcej" (Something I Love the Most), which expresses yearning for one's homeland and reflects the longing of refugees for their family homes. The project symbolically represents the process of "putting down roots" in a new place that becomes a new home for refugees. The central theme of the project, referring to a "seed" and a "new center," served as inspiration for creating the moodboard that defined the project goals.

Moodboard

The preschool is designed in a courtyard layout, providing a sense of freedom and security for the children. It consists of three above-ground levels and one underground level. The building incorporates modular units and includes administrative rooms, teacher facilities, sensory and art therapy rooms, and well-lit classrooms with their own toilets. The kitchen area has a separate entrance and a lift for meal delivery. The building is designed to accommodate people with disabilities, and special attention is given to the needs of children affected by war.