Urriðaból Kindergarten

Located in Garðabær near Reykjavík, the kindergarten blends with nature on one side and the urban context on the other. It has six homerooms for 124 children aged 1–6 and 35 staff. The central circulation links communal spaces, cloakrooms, a library, and a multipurpose hall. The food cycle is emphasised through a kitchen, greenhouse, and playground farm, letting children engage in growing, cooking, and sorting waste. Staff areas and a south-facing terrace sit upstairs. The playground, inspired by nearby Lake Urriðavatn, is sheltered from dominant winds and connects to surrounding green spaces.

The concept blends the building with nature and the local architectural language, using the colour of the cladding material and green roof to minimise visual impact. From the start, children’s feedback guided the design through an interactive 3D walkthrough, allowing them and staff to explore the building virtually. Despite part of the team working remotely, this method turned the COVID-related distance into a strength, improving collaboration and ensuring a highly positive user experience. Architecturally, the challenge was fitting all homerooms on one level of steep terrain. The design addresses this by lowering the building on the plot, giving every room direct outdoor access and sunlight. The massing rises northward, maximising daylight and symbolising children’s growth. Fragmented volumes make spaces recognisable and enhance flow, accessibility, and comfort. Meeting Swan daylight standards required large skylights in each homeroom, ensuring bright, healthy learning environments.

As a Swan-certified kindergarten, the building uses environmentally responsible materials throughout. Foundations and slabs use eco-friendly concrete, while the main structure is cross-laminated timber (CLT), chosen for its strength, lightness, and earthquake resilience. The simple C-shaped structure enables efficient, low-waste construction. Exposed CLT exterior walls are wax-treated for protection and easy cleaning, while lightweight interior partitions allow future flexibility. The building is insulated with rockwool and clad in maintenance-free anodised aluminium made from recycled sources. Marmoleum flooring provides a PVC-free, acoustic surface, and ceilings feature timber or Rockfon panels for sound control. Blue-green infrastructure manages rainwater sustainably, recycling it back into the surrounding landscape.