Oita Ichigo Children's Garden Branch Facility

　This is a branch facility of an existing childcare center located in Oita City. Beneath a gate-like enclosure formed by a large roof and walls featuring a corrugated plate structure with a concave curved cross-section, the first floor houses childcare rooms for infants and toddlers. The second floor accommodates a multipurpose meeting room. Inside, the building is connected by a semi-outdoor space with a three-dimensional circulation pattern, featuring a terrace-like area with a wood deck.
　It maintains a spatial connection with the existing kindergarten building via a shared plaza. Children aged two and above, as well as local children using the second floor, may visit. A semi-outdoor space connects the east and west wings vertically. The west side features stairs and a slide. The east side has stairs connecting the upper and lower terraces, along with three-dimensional nets and climbing holds. The aim was to create a kindergarten building that functions as play equipment, enabling children to move around, play, and interact in a multi-dimensional space.

　The social welfare corporation Tonton pioneered a private, non-profit childcare service in Oita Prefecture in 1991, unprecedented at the time: providing care exclusively for infants with severe disabilities, separated from their mothers. For nearly 30 years, it has actively and innovatively pursued “comprehensive developmental support through childcare and disability welfare” in Oita Prefecture, expanding into childcare support services, welfare programs for children with developmental delays, certified childcare centers, and after-school care. Recently, various initiatives have been undertaken to build an inclusive society, with “social inclusion” at its core. Aiming to include every child, with or without disabilities, without exclusion, and to provide opportunities for social participation, Oita Ichigo Children's Center shares its facilities, centered around the playground, with a daycare facility for children with disabilities, which is a child welfare facility under the same legal entity. Furthermore, as a certified children's center, it possesses the characteristics of both a social welfare facility and an early childhood education facility, qualifying it as a special building under the Building Standards Act.

　In recent years, child welfare facilities have often become more closed off due to concerns about serious accidents involving children, measures against suspicious individuals, and noise control to prevent becoming a nuisance to neighbors. This kindergarten building strives to create a space where children in various situations can move freely and safely. It achieves this by providing a well-protected environment while integrating interior and exterior spaces for openness. It also realizes a multi-level spatial layout within the limited residential lot, enabling the creation of separate building sections.