Circular childcare centre

Børnegården Bison has moved into the newly built premises near Himmelbjerget in Gammel Rye, East Jutland, Denmark. The circular design is a fantastic example of how you can combine architecture and sustainability.

The childcare centre is completely round, and this basic shape has resulted in many architectural qualities. The reference point is a light, circular wooden construction and black wood cladding. The corridor to the nursery and daycare rooms is located along the inner courtyard of the circle. All-around glass panels provide plenty of daylight and an elegant sense of transparency across the courtyard. The corridor has a varying width and therefore serves both as a communal space and as a cosy reading corner.

The layout is almost like a pie chart, with the rooms running from the communal hallway to the facade with changing rooms and cloakrooms in between. As a result, the rooms have large window sections and overhangs that provide a screen and create an intermediate zone for the playground.  

Durable materials

The round shape saves energy as the area of the facade is reduced. At the same time, efforts have been made to reduce CO₂ consumption on all parameters using life cycle analysis calculations (consumption: 8.79 kg/CO2/m2/year). The wood construction limits the amount of steel and concrete, and the Troldtekt ceilings are of the type FUTURECEM, which is made with less cement and more clay. The white Troldtekt ceilings provide the same good acoustics and also serve as a unifying surface for the many rooms and corridors.

The interior brick walls are made of recycled bricks from a nearby paediatric dentist and a Per Kirkeby monument, adding a nice texture to the building's interior. Recycling of materials in the structure also extends to the interior, such as the wardrobes, which were taken from Bison’s previous building next door.