Fuji Kindergarten 453x12

Fuji Kindergarten Tezuka Architects

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Takaharu + Yui Tezuka Architects - Biography

TAKAHARU TEZUKA

Architect / President of Tezuka Architects / Professor of Tokyo City University

AWARDS

1964 Born in Tokyo, Japan 1987 B. Arch., Musashi Institute of Technology 1990 M. Arch., University of Pennsylvania 1990-1994 Richard Rogers Partnership Ltd. 1994 Founded Tezuka Architects with Yui Tezuka 1996-2008 Associate Professor, Musahi Institute of Technology 2009- Professor, Tokyo City University

The Best of All, OECD/CELE 4th Compendium of Exemplary Educational Facilities (2011, Fuji Kindergarten) Prize of Architectural Institute of Japan for Design (2008, Fuji Kindergarten) Japan Institute of Architects Award (2008, Fuji Kindergarten) (2015, Sora no Mori Clinic) AR Award 2004, the Architectural Review (EchigoMatsunoyama Museum of Natural Science) Good Design Gold Prize (1997, Soejima Hospital) (2013, Asahi Kindergarten)

YUI TEZUKA

EXHIBITIONS

Architect / President of Tezuka Architects 1969 Born in Kanagawa, Japan 1992 B.Arch., Musashi Institute of Technology 1992-1993 The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College of London 1994 Founded Tezuka Architects with Takaharu Tezuka 1999- Visiting Faculty, Toyo University 2001- Visiting Faculty, Tokai University

2004 Venice Biennale of Architecture 2013 Carnegie International

PUBLISHING

Tezuka Architects: The Yellow Book, Edited by Thomas Sherman & Greg Logan, Jovis, 2016 Takaharu + Yui Tezuka Architecture Catalogue 1-3. TOTO Takaharu + Yui Tezuka NOSTALGIC FUTURE ERINNERTE ZUKUNFT. Edited by Paul Andreas and Peter Cachola Schmal. Berlin: Die Deutsche Bibliothek, 2009. TED.com Takaharu Tezuka: “The best kindergarten you’ve ever seen”

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Fuji Kindergarten – project description

Children love running in circles. When we brought our kids to the original kindergarten site, they kept making circles around the chairs. It was as if they had an instinctive need to do this, like a puppy that tries to bite its own tail by running in circles. So we designed Fuji Kindergarten to also be in the form of a circle so that the children could keep running, never knowing when to stop. The principal also used to make rounds through each of the buildings, even though the existing kindergarten was not connected in a loop. We liked that situation so we made Fuji Kindergarten into a circular shape for him, so that he too never knows when to stop! The key to Fuji Kindergarten is spaces being open environments. Between April and November, the sliding doors are completely open. The distinction between where outside stops and inside starts doesn’t apply. There are no walls between spaces and therefore no boundaries. There are only boxes that are used as furniture to indicate areas. The principal believes that when you place children in a cage they will try to establish a social hierarchy, and the outcasts get segregated; but when you have no boundaries, there is no need to create such hierarchies. Fuji Kindergarten currently accepts more than 30 children affected by autism, among many of the other children. The principal has told us that these 30 children do not show obvious signs of autism when they are in the building. When some children have had a difficult time in other kindergartens, they transferred to Fuji Kindergarten and behaved no differently to other children. Typical building regulations say that you need to have a box in a classroom where an autistic child can hide. But inside a box they cannot hear any noise, and this is when symptoms begin to show.

A scientist we know has found that this has to do with background noise. When he provides white noise at a frequency of more than 20 kilohertz, the children no longer show symptoms. This is the kind of background noise that happens naturally at Fuji Kindergarten. Every childcare room in Fuji Kindergarten is filled with background noise. While one class is learning basic mathematics, another class is playing piano nearby. The children are selecting information from this noise. One time the kindergarten was featured on a television program. The film crew told me that they were very surprised to find that the children were capable of ignoring the television camera and continued listening to the teacher. It is natural to be exposed to high frequency background noise. It is not natural to be in complete silence. I suspect that the design of modern, quiet school buildings could be the cause of many autistic symptoms in children. Our scheme for Fuji Kindergarten is the “end of an era”. Modern conveniences have deprived children of basic sensation, and the treasures once found in this era have now been abandoned. What we want to teach through this building is “common sense”. Common sense comprises those values of human society that are unchanging, even across eras. We want the children raised here to grow into people who do not exclude anything or anyone. We think Fuji Kindergarten will be unchanged even after fifty years have ed.

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Fuji Kindergarten – media statement

Fuji Kindergarten is a large, one-story, oval-shaped kindergarten, well known to accommodate over 600 children freely running around the oval-shaped roof. All of architectural spaces were designed to be at the scale of a child, so there is an extremely close relationship between the floor level and rooftop level. Three pre-existing Zelkova trees shoot through the architecture and are splendid climbing points for children on the roof. There is not a single piece of play equipment on the roof. The rooftop itself becomes the play equipment. Even children who don’t usually run will most certainly race around this roof.

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Fuji Kindergarten – plans

Existing Building 既存園舎

既存園舎

Elevator Sky Light

エレベータホール

Nursery Room (2 rooms)

トップ

Staff Room･ Infirmary

Gate

職員室･保健室

正門

External Faucet + Wet Area

保育室内洗面

職員室･保健室

正門

保育室内洗面

Gargoyle

Gargoyle Basin

Nursery Room 外部水場 (5 rooms)

外部水場

ガーゴイル水受け

Flagpole External Faucet + Wet Area Nursery Room (3 rooms)

保育室(2室)

保育室(2室)

Wash Basin

ガーゴイル水受け

保育室(5室）

外部水場

外部水場

External Faucet + Wet Area

保育室(3室)

Slide

保育室(3室)

96

70

築山

築山 外部水場 滑り台

10

84

保育室(5室）

旗竿

旗竿

Mound

ガーゴイル

外部水場

96

70

滑り台

96

70

0 41

0 41

8

8

Nursery Room (6 rooms)

South Gate

保育室(6室)

南門

Existing Building 既存園舎

Site and Ground Floor Plan - Scale = 1:400 配置図・1階平面図　S=1:400

保育室(6室)

南門

Existing Building

Ｎ

既存園舎

既存園舎

既存園舎

Ｎ Ｎ

Roof Plan - Scale = 1:4001:400 屋根伏図　S 配置図・1階平面図　S=1:400

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Fuji Kindergarten – elevation and section Children can go under the handrail around the tree

13mmφ steel rail

300×300 girder

Rope is stretched around the tree at a 200 x 200 grid Affixed Rope

The deck is inclined along the water run-off gradient. 1/50~1/70

The beam itself is also inclined along the water run-off gradient Concrete For vibration absorption

250×125×6×8

Menrak construction method ceiling Urethane t = 30 244×177×7×11 Gutter

Sliding Doors The ing sash for each sliding door is ed at two points. It moves along a sliding track above and below.

Low ceiling. The lowest height is H = 2100. A Child:s scale Gargoyle Naked Bulb Lighting Strings hang from the ceiling to turn on lights in each of the spaces. The inside is partitioned with furniture. There are no walls

air supply

mesh screen

Permeable pipe

A

FIX

FIX

FIX

FIX

FIX

FIX

FIX

1110 3085

FIX

300 2245 360 180

Heating is only used in winter. Tradition Korean stove-type floor heating has been installed and heats the floorboards from below.

B

A There are no foundations in the tree root zone between the courtyard and the exterior building circumference Air es the below the floors. B No interefence with tree roots within a 4m-diameter zone from the center of each tree.

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Fuji Kindergarten – physical model

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Fuji Kindergarten – Photography and Documentation

Children keep running in an endless chase. A child can run up to around three miles daily.

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The roof deck is declined towards the center of the oval.

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The Zelkova trees are the perfect playground for children. Sometimes there are more than forty kids climbing the trees at the same time.

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There are no foundation beams on this side of the building, only a slab

There is chamber under the floor where Korean stove-type floor heating has been installed

No excavation within 4mΦ of the tree to prevent root damage

Tree Roots and Foundations To preserve a tree is to preserve its roots. You cannot just cut the roots. If you do, the tree dies. A Zelkova tree’s roots extend only as far as the spread of its branches, in this case all the way from the inner courtyard to the edges of the building circumference. We had to locate the roots using sonar and develop a grid of steel beams and extended foundations to work around the trees. The floor slab area nearest to each Zelkova tree were extended between the foundations, in order to reduce the heavy load that would otherwise interfere with the base roots. The digging and soil stabilization proceeded while avoiding the roots. It was more like an excavation site than a construction site.

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Main rope is closely tied to the tree to ensure high tension and safety.

Secondary rope A grid of φ660 mm ropes create squares which even the head of a child cannot through

Main rope

Frame

The rope is stretched between both trees and building to ensure an even load of forces.

Net holes We wanted a circular kindergarten, but whenever we pushed the circle to the perimeter of the site, it interfered with the existing trees. Holes have been cut out of the roof for trees to project through and a net has been strung around each tree so the kids can plunge into the net (the net has a 60mm grid of squares so a child’s head cannot get stuck) and climb up on the trees. Zelkova trees are difficult to climb from ground level, but easy to do so from roof deck.

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The slender handrail is connected to the balustrade by a simple weld.

Round steel 16Φ

A child’s head cannot through Round steel 13Φ

Internal dimension 110mm

Children's feet and most adult size feet can fit through 300mm

40 Φ

4 mm weld margin

t

Handrail Encircling the roof is a slender baluster with a maximum spacing of 110mm, too small for a child’s head to enter. Children's feet can through a 110mm gap, and most adults can also hang their legs over the eaves. Children love throwing their feet through the gaps to sit and face the courtyard below. The ceiling height on the courtyard side is 2100mm. An adult is able to reach up and touch dangling feet above. The top and bottom of the roof have a very close relationship.

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Skylights For every room there is a skylight for the space below. You could place a ladder and climb directly onto the roof. On the first day of opening after the roof was ed in a loop, the teachers guided each class around the rooftop. Few children stayed with their teachers, and instead they gathered around the skylights and did not move. From the nursery rooms below, the heads of friends peeking through from above was very interesting.

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Guide roller Each sliding door is ed at two points.

Aluminum rails

Inner side: 3 sliding rails Outer side: 3 sliders rails

Gap to allow for movement

Rail SVS round bar fixed by angle as door rail

Floor clearance FB t=3

Angle

Water drainage is enabled by a small hole in each of the bottom rails.

SVS round bar 6 t × 40

A rubber gasket is applied below the sash.

Outside Threshold SVS rail Fill in non-shrinkage concrete

Inside

Rubber is attached along each door edge to create a clearance and prevent injury of hands/fingers.

The clearance is smallest at the central part of the outer edge of each sliding door. The rubber gasket on this edge becomes shorter accordingly.

Air-tight rubber

Entirely Openable Building For two thirds of the year, the kindergarten is completely open. This had already been tested before, because the building was built in two phases and so half of it has been in use since summer. Therefore, the basic configuration of this building is with the windows open. The sliding doors directly follow the oval shape. Great care has been taken to ensure the clearance between fittings prevent little fingers or limbs from getting trapped.

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All edges are 5mm radius

450×300×300 BOX Boxes are connected with bolts that can be easily tightened and loosened with a hexagonal wrench.

600×300×300 BOX

300 Screw hole to connect the boxes together 300×300×300 BOX 300

900×300×300 BOX

Depending on the size of the block, the thickness of the material is adjusted There are no gaps at the edge where the bottom edge meets the side edge

The screw hole is countersunk to keep the screw from protruding out.

Furniture Blocks The basic idea for the furniture was a simple building block, made from a soft, lightweight wood called Paulownia. The blocks can be carried by the children, and even if pupils bang their heads slightly, it will be the Paulownia that gets dented. The corners were also made with a 5mm radius. The basic module of the box is 300×300×300, and it was then developed into variations of 300×450×300, 300×600×300, and 600×600×600. The thickness of the boards has been increased alongside the span, and even if the children jump on them or hit them, the boxes are sufficiently strong to withstand any damage. The large block sizes can sometimes become shelves to store teaching materials.

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Vegetation + Fence

Vegetation + Fence Vegetation Wall for privacy

Gate

EV

Movable Furniture Vegetation + Fence

Stage

Vegetation + Fence

Storage Gate

Gate

Hall The eastern part of the oval is wider than the other sections, and is usually divided into five learning spaces. If the furniture is shifted aside, the space becomes a hall that can accommodate as many as 600 people. Also, if the doors are opened, people can flood out into the courtyard, creating an even larger space.

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The counter has a width in which cups can be placed

SVS.H.L

The water faucet is freely bendable into place

Stainless steel is bent to have a chamfer edge

Endcut is smoothed with a chamfer edge

Basin height is at the scale of a child.

Shina plywood, clear paint Removable plate on the side for maintenance and inspection

A bucket can easily be placed beside the basin and filled using the bendable hose

Air conditioner remote control is installed on the side.

Tap handle has a minimum and maximum turn position

The hole is setback from the surface to prevent water damage Tube is securely fixed onto the base material to prevent shaking when pipe is in use

Childcare Room Washbasins The image of the washroom in a childcare room is that of an outdoor well. Rather than washing one's hands while facing a wall, we decided it was more fun for everyone to gather together like an event, cheering and shouting. The water faucet is a flexible tube. You can freely bend the hose both inside and outside the basin. Initially, we were worried about disasters but unexpectedly the children understood. Presently, it is happily being used without any trouble.

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Faucet can be freely bent into position and shape.

On the garden side, a sand zone of about 300 mm wide prevents the overflow of water into the garden

60 φ -100 φ logs

Insulated to prevent freezing in winter

Waterproof sheet

: SVS pipe Fill the gaps of the log with gravel. Fill the bottom with crushed stones

Outdoor faucets Faucets for outdoor use are indispensable for the garden of a kindergarten. The flexible hose that extends from each faucet can be used from both courtyard and corridor side. Ordinary concrete drain pans would be unsightly for this kindergarten so we installed large water drain pans underneath the ground. We piled logs into the earth at the base of the faucet, and water is able to enter crevices above and travel down to reach the drain below.

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Waterproof sheet applied to the surface Edge of gargoyle is set as the center point

Water basin 900 φ

Afterwards, plant ivy can grow, etc

Gravel is kept on the surface of the net

Acrlyic is folded back and secured between two brackets Acrylic t=3mm

Overflow prevention

Eaves and Gargoyles There are five gargoyles at the eaves of the courtyard. The collected rain water falls from five places into the five large basins in the courtyard below. On rainy days, children gather around the waterfalls that flow from these gargoyles. The children love this flowing water.

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Slide

Have beveled edges for every corner Construction plate is secured by double ts and for extra leeway and structural movement Waterproof cover over construction Connect parts to secure slide onto structural beam Slide: Rounded rail

Structural Frame Slide (structure)

Sliding surface Embossed SVS

Rib plate @ 900 Fixing angle for Slide and slide . Hole is kept loosened.

Connection plate between roof, and landing.

Slide surface 1300R Opening to insert hands when connecting the slide

Landing zone made into a Slide surface 2000R bunker

Slide Slide

Ground foundation

Slide The play equipment that we made for the kindergarten comprises of just one slide. To reach the slide, the children must climb a mound of soil about one meter in height, then ascend a staircase onto the roof. It is the angle and length of the slide that makes it enjoyable to children of all ages. From the children who slide for the first time all the way to the most senior children, every child is reminded by each other’s fun of how joyful riding the slide is.

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One string turns on the surrounding lights

Naked Light Bulbs

Naked Bulb Lighting The lighting used for Fuji Kindergarten is naked light bulbs. Strings hang from the ceiling that can turn on the lights inside the spaces. However, even if one string is pulled, it is only connected to the few lights surrounding the string. To turn on all the lights in a room, it is necessary to go to each place and pull the strings. Children gather in the places where the lights are turned on, like a campfire space. A light dimmer function is included in the switch for each light. Although the purpose is to extend the longevity of each lamp, another purpose is to allow the children to visually check the filaments of the light bulbs, and learn about the relationship between a switch, it's light and why the bulb shines.

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Structure The structure is randomly arranged to accommodate the preservation of the Zelkova trees. While the building seems to have a center, it is a space without a center. There is no regularity to the oval shape. The roof appears smooth but is actually a threedimensional curved surface of a delicately changing hyperbolic shell. Final welds were not made until after the roof was fully completed in order to ensure the structural moment was finalized securely.

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２２５０ １０００

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内樋

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Ｂ Z2

Preservation of existing tree roots Soil Zone remains in its pre-existing condition Extra layer of soil added above the base roots. Within a 2m radius of the tree there is no nearby floor heating installed SL = FL -100, slab thickness = 200 mm, no gravel used, original soil retained. A sheet underlay was installed prior to the leveling concrete in order to prevent the areas around the roots from being damaged by the compounds found in concrete. Within a 2m radius of the tree, Korean-style floor heating is installed. SL = FL-200, slab thickness = 230 mm Careful attention was given to the carpentry work for the ducts, to ensure proper ventilation and airflow.

断面図　S=1:50

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Fuji Kindergarten - Numerical Index of Photography

1. Photographer: Katsuhisa Kida FOTOTECA Ltd.

2. Photographer: Tezuka Architects

3. Photographer: Tezuka Architects

4. Photographer: Katsuhisa Kida

5. Photographer: Katsuhisa Kida

6. Photographer: Katsuhisa Kida

7. Photographer: Tezuka Architects

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21. Photographer Tezuka Architects

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27. Photographer: Katsuhisa Kida

28. Photographer Tezuka Architects

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Fuji Kindergarten - in a broader context NOSTALGIC FUTURE by Tezuka Takaharu, 2016

Background Noise for All

Nostalgia is the word to describe a desire for a world that has existed in the past. I do not think the past is better or more ideal than the present because we are still experiencing a world with conflicts such as war and poverty. Yet we humans continue to dream about nostalgia. I think this is because there are important things we are losing as time es. I use the words ‘Nostalgic Future’ to describe a world where we can access this ideal form of nostalgia in the future.

A few years ago, while in Bali, my wife and I were invited by Dr. Tsutomu Ohashi to see a Kecak, an Indonesian music drama and dance. Dr. Ohashi is a molecular biologist, composer and neuroscientist, renowned for his outstanding research on the effects of hypersonic sounds on humans. I had the privilege to be with him only a short moment and I learned a lot from him during that time. I recorded the Kecak with my mobile phone but when I replayed the Kecak back in Japan I found the music was masked by background noise. I first thought there was a glitch with my mobile phone. I soon realized that the background noise was from the jungle. In the jungle, I did not pay attention to the noise. In fact, I did not feel the noise was distracting at all. Simply I ignored the noise and enjoyed the Kecak ritual. Humans have a natural noise canceling system to selectively listen to what we want. We cancel the noise not by frequency, but by information. Of course, this effect did not work when I was back in Japan because I was not amid the same background noise.

In the 20th century, the future was represented by images of computers and machines. These idealistic visions are featured in science-fiction movies such as Metropolis, Modern Times and Tron. The Matrix film shows a world where images and feelings in the computer are more real than reality itself more real than real world . There is a program to control everything, yet the technology is invisible like air. The world is getting closer and closer to the world portrayed in this movie. Technology is capable of improving our lives and freeing us from fear and disease. We can travel the world, or safely hike into the wilderness, easily access the jungle because we have transport, technology and emergency backup. Technology has made these things possible. Now it is up to us whether we make use of the technology for an idealistic future, or for disaster. What is the ideal environment for humans in the future, and especially for children? When I go to international conferences about pedagogy, I find that speakers often talk about the future of education being an integration of computeraided technology and clean, safe environments for classrooms. Presenters often show projections onto walls displaying classrooms with computer screens and playgrounds with soft, colorful antibacterial plastic. If you look at many of the latest school designs, the modern school building is getting bigger and bigger and looking more like an IT company’s headquarters. Sometimes I find there are very small playgrounds, while the structure itself is taking up most of the land. In these buildings, children never go outside. They stay indoors can never walk outside don’t walk outside all day so they don’t get wet or feel cold. Many people believe that this is the future but I am always against these choices for children. I think it is time that we need to understand that we are a part of a bigger existence. These artificial controlled environments are not the vision of the future anymore; they are slowly killing the children. Just as a fish cannot live in purified water, children cannot live in a clean, quiet and controlled environment. Our life is a part of the surrounding environment and that cannot be disconnected.

Actually our body is full of noise too. When we dive underwater, it is possible to start hearing noises from our own bodies. Our body is very noisy. The noise from our cardiovascular system is louder than that of a construction site, yet we are capable of only hearing the sounds of a Mozart performance. We have naturally learned to ignore the noise from inside of our body. In complete silence, we can be extremely sensitive. It is very natural to be exposed to high frequency background noise. It is not natural to be in complete silence. I think this is the reason why we hear about children having difficulties staying quiet in the classroom. I consider it only natural that they feel nervous in an enclosed environment without any background noise. I suspect that the design of modern, quiet school buildings could be the cause of many autistic symptoms in children. In 2007, we designed Fuji Kindergarten and have received numerous awards in fields from architecture to education, including The Japan Institute of Architects Award in 2008 and Best of All in the OECD/CELE 4th Compendium of Exemplary Educational Facilities. Fuji Kindergarten is a large oval shape, well known to allow 600 children to run freely around the oval roof. The kindergarten’s sliding doors are completely open between April and November. When these doors are open, the building functions as a roof. There are no clear boundaries between each classroom. There are only boxes, and 1.8-meter tall s to indicate areas. Fuji Kindergarten accepts more than 30 autistic children among many other children. The principal has told me that these 30 children do not show obvious signs of autism when they are in the building. When some children have had a difficult time in other kindergartens, they transferred to Fuji Kindergarten and behaved no differently to other children without mental disorders.

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The key to Fuji Kindergarten was to design spaces as very open environments, filled with background noise. Not only is noise coming from other classrooms, but also from outside too. There are classes teaching basic mathematics while another class is playing piano nearby. The children are obviously selecting information from the background noise. Some visitors often worry if the children are able to maintain concentration. One time the kindergarten was featured on a television program. The film crew told me that they were very surprised to find that the children were capable of ignoring the television camera and continued listening to the teacher. A visitor from once questioned Mr. Kato, the principal of Fuji Kindergarten, ‘how do you make the children go quiet?’ Mr. Kato said it is quite easy. He whispered and they quieted down. The children always know he has something interesting to say, so they listen. Children have different levels of personal space in order to feel comfortable. In nature, space is limitless and we are allowed to choose any distance we want. In the classroom, if a child must stay in a set area, they cannot define their space. It is expected that some students do not stay within certain boundaries. The classroom space only exists because the boundary exists. When the boundary disappears, the constraints disappear. There is always a question made by visitors to Fuji Kindergarten on a rainy day, what happens if these children get wet. The answer of Mr Kato is very simple :’ In Japan, children change their clothes if they get wet, they have human skin and are waterproof. Unlike a mobile phone, children do not break when wet in a bathtub. They can be washed clean. Sometimes, I take my own children to the sea to chase turtles. When my son was 7 years old he was capable of swimming more than 1000 meters. Now he is 11 years old. He dives in the river and catches fishes. Children should be treated as a part of the natural environment. Natural Environment Children are strong and capable enough to stay outdoors. Of course they need protection in extreme weather, though not all the time. When we think of old settlements, these buildings are comfortable enough for most of the seasons. Comfort cannot be measured simply by temperature or humidity. In 2001, we designed a house called Roof House, where the family enjoys living and inhabiting the space on top of the inclined roof. When we published the project we were criticized that the roof is too hot in summer and too cold in winter. The critics were saying that the roof cannot be used and the design is based on fiction that I had imagined. The owner responded saying that they use the rooftop every day. The answer was very simple. The roof is hot in summer; therefore the roof should be used before sunrise or after dark while the roof is still cool. The roof is cold in winter; therefore the roof should be used after noon when the roof gets warm enough.

In the past, humans found comfort through timing and location instead of controlling our living environment with technology. This is just like a cat finding its favorite place to laze. Human behavior is full of contradictions. We go to the beach in summer. The sand is 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). We go to ski in winter. The ski slope is -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit). This is telling us that the comfort is about the level of pleasure, not temperature. It is possible a fisherman’s hut on the water could be much more comfortable than an expensive, air-conditioned, modern concrete structure. We can say the same thing about schools. A traditionally designed school hut in Bali could be much more comfortable than the latest, modern, air-conditioned school. There are kindergartens and childcare facilities around the world with playgrounds covered with antibacterial plastic. This kind of technology is spreading. Of course such a technology is much needed in this world, for example, it can be very useful in a refugee camp where sanitation is poor. Yet we can easily go wrong. It is often said that the dangers of excessive use of antibiotics may create antibiotic-resistant bacteria. For children, a sterilized environment can be just as dangerous as a polluted one. In 2014, we designed a unique hospital called Soranomori that specializes in infertility treatment. Usually hospitals are designed to be non-bacterial, sterilized places but our body already has an immune system and is full of different bacteria. In this hospital, the patients are encouraged to receive treatment amid the natural environment, with open windows and exposure to the Okinawa forests. We have received news that the success rate doubled since introducing a hospital into this environment. Children also need to be treated as a part of the natural environment. Dr. Tsutomu Ohashi said, we are a kind grown up in the jungle; we cannot deny what we are. When we overprotect children with artificially created environments, they cannot grow up properly. In Fuji Kindergarten, Mr. Kato leaves the children on top of the roof. Some spontaneously run more than 6 kilometers in the morning. These children do not require any special training in order to get faster and stronger. They may get wet and sometimes fall down from a tree branch. They may tumble and get slight injuries. That is how they learn the way of life. Mr. Kato said, “don’t spoil them too much or they will grow up the wrong way. Because the ones who don’t break a bone now, may get a more serious injury once he or she grows up.” Whenever I see the smiles of children who were raised at Fuji Kindergarten, I get lumps in my throat at the thought of this joy being packed into a suitcase and sent to children all around the world. It is quite possible that the children who have access to the latest technology are not receiving a better education than the children with little access to the technology but learn in a natural environment.

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Fuji Kindergarten – Awards and Recognitions

Awards

Links to relevant video/audio content:

2007 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: Interaction Design Prize

TED Talk: The Best Kindergarten You Have Ever Seen

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: Kids Design Gold Prize

https://www.ted.com/talks/takaharu_tezuka_the_best_ kindergarten_you_ve_ever_seen?language=en TED talk 2015

Association for Children’s Environment: ACE Award Design Category

Harvard GSD Lecture: Beyond Architecture

Design for Asia Awards 2007: Grand Award The Architectural Review: AR Awards 2007 Highly Commended

http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/#/media/takaharu-tezukabeyond-architecture.html

2008 Architectural Institute of Japan: Architectural Design Division 2008 Prize The Japan Institute of Architects: The Japan Institute of Architects Prize 2009 Asia Pacific Property Awards: The Architecture Award 2011 OECD/CELE: The Best of All, OECD/CELE 4th Compendium of Exemplary Educational Facilities

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Fuji Kindergarten – Evidence of

TESTIMONIAL Dear Takaharu San, While visiting Japan as Chair of the OECD Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE) in 2012, I had the great privilege of visiting your wonderful Fuji Kindergarden. This visit was arranged by Mr. FUKUEI SAITO, Director, Educational Facilities Research Center, National Institute for Educational Policy Research (NIER) who with representatives of MEXT, I spent 3 hours being guided around by the Owner Director of this private school. We were all deeply impressed by the enthusiasm and confidence of the staff and pupils we met. At a personal level I was deeply moved by the great attention to every detail of this wonderful school environment. Having visited many schools internationally without any doubt Fuji is one of my favourites. My congratulations again. Best regards and success. Tony Sheppard Architect - B.Arch., F.R.I.A.I., R.I.B.A. Chair OECD Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE) Technical Manager| Professional + Technical Section | Planning and Building Unit Department of Education and Skills Block 3, 2-16, Marlborough Street, Dublin, D01 RC96, Ireland Direct 00353 1 8892336 |Mobile 00353 87 6596779 |Email [email protected]

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Fuji Kindergarten – Evidence of CITATION BY PETER COOK Visiting the Fuji Kindergarten at Tachikawa, on the fringes of Tokyo, is an extraordinarily charming experience. It is quite unlike any other building that you know, yet it seems both deliberate and obvious and with a natural presence. It is dynamic in its total, continuous shape and the presence of liberated children, scampering up onto the roof deck and down, around the oval formation of the classrooms, yet it seems not to shout at you as a construct. It is essentially of our time but seems also to recall (for me) the calm and committed architecture of the Swedish or Danish Modernists who also believed in light, air and a direct, timber structure for the benefit of humanity. Like those buildings it presents the spaces in a restrained but very straightforward detailing with a number of sweet or amusing small-scale boxes and hutches and corners in which the kids can play and identify. Yet underlying and stimulating all this irable charm and intelligent design is a special understanding which clearly motivated the project. The Directors and educationalists behind the scheme – coming as they were from the Montessori persuasion - were looking for an instrument that could demonstrate the benefits of freedom and openness, not only of attitude to study and play, but its spatial and expressionistic implications. If the continuous rotation of space in the building gives the impression of breaking boundaries, this is not just the architects’ whim but the implementation of this educational philosophy. Illustrative of this, is the fact that Takaharu and Yui Tezuka – the architects – have their own children in the school, and had arrived at the seemingly unorthodox idea of a flat roof as playground via an already tried and tested model - their earlier ‘Roof House’ in Hadano. If such a thing could be enjoyed by a family - then surely the same liberation up off the ground could fit so well with the Montessori thinking. The roof itself is set quite low to the ground, little more than two meters and space is interrupted sometimes by a succession of ‘boxes’, washroom boxes occur within the nursery spaces, naked light bulbs hang (at a safe distance) from the ceiling, the existing trees run up through the structure unfettered by it. Again, this relaxed attitude towards space, place and play is no mere laissez-faire or ramshackle approach, but is quite deliberate. In fact, close inspection reveals that these conditions demand deft and sometimes tough detailing. A later adjunct to the building - the ‘Ring Around a Tree’- functioning as an open English-language classroom and waiting space for the school bus, consists of 7 rotating platforms that certainly do circuit a large tree develop further the theme of free roaming and the breakout from conventional ideas of ‘room’ or ‘deck’ or ‘path’. Yet again, the nonchalance with which it is used and its immediate appeal as a fusion of playground structure and operational element confirm the skill and intelligence of the architects. The instantaneous charm of the place is in fact a subtle achievement that should point a directional finger at other architects, suggesting that both social and educational commitment, immersion in a working idea and honest (but intensely thought) detailing are not incompatible with a unique form. What a brilliant building. Furthermore, my experience of the architects themselves has always been stimulating and refreshing, one enjoys in their persons, the insight and commitment - as well as the obvious talent – that is visible in the Kindergarten.

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Fuji Kindergarten – Video Link

Video: Tezuka Architects

Fuji Kindergarten Extracts from TEDxKyoto and various media English Subtitles - 4:59 https://vimeo.com/205985723

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