‘connect’ by koseki architect office in kyoto, japan all images courtesy koseki architect office image © toshihide kajiwara

‘connect’ by japanese practice koseki architect office is a two-storey extension project to a pre-existing nursery school in fushimi ku, kyoto, japan. breaking free from the closed-box structure of the old facilities, the design is devoid of internal walls to promote maximum flexibility and to cater to a wide range of activities for the children.

koseki architect office: connect exterior view image © toshihide kajiwara

featuring an outdoor wood terrace that partially wraps around the footprint of the structure, a large collection of floor-to-ceiling windows connect the interior with the exterior. the form of a staircase becomes the focus of the facade by adding dynamic angles to the low-lying elevation. the classrooms within are able to fully open up to the outdoors by sliding glass panels.

koseki architect office: connect outdoor terraces image © toshihide kajiwara

by extending the layout in both horizontal and vertical directions, a three-dimensional loop was created. the light-filled classrooms connect the space as one, encouraging group learning activities for the students. by adopting a new spatial framework, the architecture facilitates a new method of usage and functions.

koseki architect office: connect outdoor space image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect looking into the interior image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect interior view image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect images © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect stairway image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect night view image © toshihide kajiwara

koseki architect office: connect elevation at night image © toshihide kajiwara