Moriyuki Ochiai Architects designed a playful and exciting environment suitable for implementing this LHM kindergarten’s educational policy, which focuses on bringing up children that can think, learn and act independently. In doing so, we created a space in which seasonal changes can be experienced to the fullest by taking advantage of the glass windows facing a garden outside of the building to usher the great outdoors into the kindergarten.
Photography: Atsushi Ishida
We experimented with a landscape design populated with lakes, hills, and mountains that would inspire children a variety of uses and fun ways to play by stimulating their imagination.

Here, the scenery and relief associated with nature are echoed throughout the space by a cleverly designed stage resembling a hill, furniture representing small mountains, caves or cabins and mirrors reminiscent of the surface of a body of water, while the color gradations of the walls feature a palette evoking the beauty of nature. Floor Plan
The lake-shaped mirrors covering the ceiling in the “Lake” area help create a space in which minute changes in natural light, such as that from the morning or evening sun or that of a sunny or cloudy sky, can be experienced throughout the day and the seasons, while also adding to the bustle by reflecting the children at play. As the reflected imagery adds to the liveliness of the entire scenery, it helps create an environment that brings children to approach natural ph...