The School of Doctrina

Location: Liberec, CZE

Project: 2023

Area: 1748 m2

Volume: 42 831 m3

Author: Jan Mach, Jan Vondrák, Igor Nesterov, Daniela Marešová
Civil engineer: Mjölking s.r.o.

These days we are often faced with a shortage of places in kindergartens. One of the ways to solve the situation effectively and sustainably is to make better use of the unsuitable existing buildings. In the case of an enthusiastic private investor, a kindergarten can be built in a few months, and with only small extensions there can be space for five primary school classes. All this despite an assignment that combined a limited budget with an emphasis on speed and efficiency in construction. Another limitation being the complicated czech building regulations. In spite of all this, we aimed to create a fun and high-quality place for the children which they will remember fondly. After all, kindergartens and schools are our first contacts with the world outside our homes. They are places that shape us and where we build the foundations of our lives. The school environment is therefore extremely important to us.

We aim to breathe new life into an existing kindergarten in Liberec in Jabloňová Street, built in the communist era. The two-storey building will be renovated and converted into a kindergarten and a primary school. We are approaching the design in such a way as to make the most efficient use of the existing building and, through gradual additions, to complement it with new architectural volumes that will not only increase capacity but also improve the quality of education. At the same time, we want to offer the children a new standard of indoor and outdoor spaces that are both informal and playful.

The building is divided into two floors. The sloping terrain allows separate entrances to each floor. On the lower floor there will be a kindergarten with two playrooms that are directly connected to the garden. A school with five main classes and two language classes will be located on the ground floor, occupying the entire footprint of the building. The different floors are operationally connected by an internal staircase. An exterior connection between the floors is provided by a landscape staircase between the main entrances. This creates a space where children from the school and the kindergarten can meet.

The final form of the structure will be reached gradually in three stages. In keeping with our approach to sustainable construction, all of the buildings being completed are designed as modular timber buildings to complement the original brick building.

Stage I.
In the semi-subterrain floor of the existing building, we are adding two wings on the sides, which will allow to create two children's playrooms. The extensions are simple volumes, timber buildings with glazed facades that open onto the surrounding garden. The roofs of the extensions are grassy to create a pleasant environment for views from the school classrooms in the future.

Stage II.
The second stage will be the extension of the entrance building. Pupils will fill the capacity of the primary school gradually, first one year will be opened. With each additional pupil, the need for space and the entrance building will increase. In our design, this is an architecturally distinctive volume that is intended to mark the entrance to the primary school at ground level in a playful way. The building will include an elevated entrance hall with a skylight, pupil cloakrooms and new classrooms. The cantilevered extension will provide sheltered outdoor classroom at the entrance to the kindergarten, which will be used by both the school and kindergarten children.

Stage III.
The final phase is the addition of new classrooms above the existing kindergarten and the final touches to the internal layout. The form of the building will take its final shape to create a fully functional building with a kindergarten and primary school.

We see the Kindergarten and School of Jablonova Street as a building that is playful both inside and outside. The building forms a single unit, providing a connection between the interior and exterior thanks to large glass surfaces. Of course there are pleasant light colours in the interior. The outdoor space is also important, where the pupils of the school and the kindergarten come into contact with each other.

The school welcomes pupils with an open-ceilinged space with a large skylight. The centre of the commotion is the lunch room, where the children can spend their free time together in addition to lunch. The green roof makes the view from the classrooms more pleasant. The kindergarten is an example of a well-used space for multiple activities. The glass playrooms open onto the garden and can be connected. Thanks to the efficient use of storage space, they are not only playrooms but also bedrooms and dining rooms.