© Thomas Jantscher
In the small community of Vétroz, set in the Swiss Alps, the shimmering gold facades of this new childcare centre reflect the sunlight in a most impressive manner. The two volumes of the development, laid out parallel to each other, offer care facilities for approximately one hundred children.
The two tracts are separated by a playground for general use and linked by a narrow basement corridor. Housed in the southern block are childcare facilities together with a large dining room and spaces for playing, reading and other activities, as well as areas for newborn children on the second floor. In the northern block is a nursery for two groups, each organized on separate storeys.
The “golden” outer faces of the buildings consist of sheet-brass strips of different widths that run continuously over the facades and the roof, so that the two volumes seem to merge into a single whole. The only exceptions are the south-facing roof slopes, which are covered with photovoltaic panels, and the gable ends, which are in pale exposed concrete. Certain constructional elements, like the eaves and gutters, were detailed in a such a way that they are not visible from the outside. In addition, projecting roof and facade structures were avoided in order to achieve a reduced, basic formal language.
The two tracts are separated by a playground for general use and linked by a narrow basement corridor. Housed in the southern block are childcare facilities together with a large dining room and spaces for playing, reading and other activities, as well as areas for newborn children on the second floor. In the northern block is a nursery for two groups, each organized on separate storeys.
The “golden” outer faces of the buildings consist of sheet-brass strips of different widths that run continuously over the facades and the roof, so that the two volumes seem to merge into a single whole. The only exceptions are the south-facing roof slopes, which are covered with photovoltaic panels, and the gable ends, which are in pale exposed concrete. Certain constructional elements, like the eaves and gutters, were detailed in a such a way that they are not visible from the outside. In addition, projecting roof and facade structures were avoided in order to achieve a reduced, basic formal language.