Fjell Kindergarten, Drammen

Project description

The kindergarten accommodates 90 children. As a consequence of the location and the program, the kindergarten is built as a compact building with a repetitive building system and a rational floor plan built in a short period of time.

The kindergarten has four different zones: 

• group zones, where each group has a primary base room, a quiet room and a group room
• the communal zones, which contain an amphitheatre, a stage, a kitchen, group rooms and hallway space. The individual rooms in the communal zone have different themes such as “workshop”, “music”, “theatre”, “climbing”, “cooking” and “painting”
• the entrance zone with a vestibule, a wardrobe, toilets and a changing room
• a covered outside area suitable for playing as well as sleeping in strollers. The area also functions as a direct extension of the  interior of the kindergarten

All of the group zones are situated on the top level with good connections to the outside space. The administration, personnel functions and technical rooms are in the lower floor, with their own entrance from the east. Access to the main floor is via stairs and elevator to the amphitheatre in the central room.

The roof surfaces towards the kindergarten´s play areas are covered with sedum (green roofs).

Low carbon strategies

The heating requirements of the building are minimised through a series of initiatives. The building has only a few, but large, windows. The total glass area is only 18 per cent of the floor area. The exterior walls have 250 mm of insulation, with 600 mm of insulation in the roof. Cold bridges are minimised, and the building is built with a high level of airtightness (0.6 air exchanges at 50 pA pressure). The kindergarten has balanced ventilation with a highly efficient heat recovery system (annual efficiency of 83.2 per cent). The cooling needs are reduced through, among other things, good external sun shading, with a total sun factor of 0.55. The building is equipped with central heating, a ground-source heat pump and an electric boiler for peak loads.

Prefabricated solid wood elements are used in the walls and ceiling, forming a robust and precise sandwich-building system. The load-bearing elements are insulated with mineral wool, and also function as an external cladding. The load-bearing elements are all visible internally. All surface treatments, both inside and outside, are moisture permeable, which contributes to a more stable and comfortable indoor air quality.

The ground floor slab and the foundations are mainly constructed using reinforced concrete and Leca and insulated with EPS. The interior slab towards the cellar is concrete with 300 mm insulation, under-floor heating and vinyl flooring. The group rooms have rubber flooring.

Key Figures

Project Information