d+a | Issue 115 • Apr/May 2020

53 A MINI VILLAGE The layout was designed to encourage spontaneous play, which according to Lenhardt, is especially important for preschool-aged children. “The kindergarten respects its rural environments and melds with its surrounding neighbourhood. It fits naturally into the southern Chinese countryside and is not an alien ‘big’ structure, so the user feels as if they are still within the village when they are inside the buildings,” he says. Designed with small alleys, pathways, squares and bigger streets, the children can meander in between the units and discover small, secret places tucked away from the main yard. “It is a safe environment for outdoor learning activities and natural play that enables the children to move as they would in their day-to-day lives within the village,” says Dong. According to both architects, the main challenge with this project was working with a local construction crew that lacked technical know-howwith regards to building on a flat, rural site. To overcome this challenge, they simplified the design of the structures so the workers could deliver better quality construction. “The kindergarten is designed to encourage exploration. Due to the rich contrast between the ‘inner playscape’ – courtyards, pathways and platforms – and the outer ‘open landscape’ – open plane, garden, field and playground areas – the children can easily find personal spaces that they like. “The scale and spatial set up allows the children to identify and relate with the kindergarten and to feel a sense of belonging,” says Lenhardt. 7. An arts and crafts classroom with skylights cut into the pitched roof is housed within one of the smaller, single- level volumes. 7