Educational center in Melbourne. A " big house " made of wood for children

In the suburbs of Melbourne, the architects of Nest Architects have built a residential education facility for preschoolers, creating extremely warm and playful environments

The aim is to create an educational centre that is in effect a home for children and not a school. The clients take an active part in the design process. The children's rooms all serve as large living rooms, while the kitchen would be perfect even for a residential project. All the spaces are characterized by a domestic atmosphere

The design also took into account a relatively limited budget for the type of structure required. Structural elements such as visible wood provide vital heat to the ceiling in all public areas of the system

The children's rooms explore the concept of playing in a very subtle way, with the use of color and habitable joinery. Colorful acrylic tunnels connect the two main children's rooms and provide an element of fun within these spaces. This theme continues in the baby room where the low-level porthole windows do not only create a sense of playfulnessbut also offer the children the opportunity to spot the parents leaving and arriving

The project is designed as a "big house" for 42 children, so to ensure that the spaces are always intimate and warm, a height of 1.2 m is set for the entire project: everything below that reference line must convey warmth and playfulness, whether it's wooden panels, colored joinery or colored tiles

In recreating a welcoming and playful atmosphere, the predominant use of visible wood combined with colors makes it very functional