Prefabricated Housing Construction and Design Manual: Childcare Facilities

With foreword by Stefan Spieker
and further contributions by Anja Behnert, Detlef Diskowski, Andrea Männel, and Danilo Suhrweier

Designing a childcare facility, whether it is a créche, kindergarten, or preschool, involves many challenges. The architect must focus on the needs of the users, who include both the children and the adult carers, while complying with a large number of rules and regulations, which are made all the more complex by the fact that they rarely reference buildings for children explicitly. But above all, the architect must create structures that optimally meet the contem­porary pedagogical and architectural requirements of an institution dedicated to children.

This is the first manual specially dedicated to the long-neglected kindergarten building typology. It presents 60 contemporary childcare buildings from across the world in detail, with large photos, plans, and drawings, providing deep insights into what is an exceedingly complicated design task. Moreover, the book outlines ten design parameters that architects can turn to for guidance. Finally, specialist articles by ­experts delve deeper into the practical consider­ations that are required to successfully plan, design, and operate a childcare facility.