The new kindergarten „Jungle Gang“ in Berlin Wedding fits into the surrounding context as a natural connecting element between the existing heterogeneous and small-scale uses of the allotment garden plots, the children's farm and adventure playground on one side and the residential development on the opposite side of the street.
The building organizes the site by dividing it into two efficient orthogonal building volumes in order to be able to react better to the local conditions and to achieve maximum utilization of the green spaces as well as optimal arrangement of the day-care centre rooms. Furthermore, a clear entrance plaza, meeting place and street frontage is created, which preserves the existing mature maple solitaire in favour of natural sun protection.
The two geometric building volumes are surrounded by a flowing architectural skin consisting of vertical wooden ribs, which vary in rhythm and spacing depending on the sun orientation. It functions as a constructive shading element, a structure for the windows, a façade element and a trellis for the greening of the façade. The design places great emphasis on a holistic sustainable concept. This is reflected in the environmentally friendly and renewable raw materials, the high degree of prefabrication potential, the self-sufficient energy generation and the natural thermal insulation. This ensures building an ecological, healthy, durable and energy-efficient environment for the children.