Preschools in Sweden have previously been designed with separate and identical departments where all activities take place. Today, there is a different approach when designing preschools. They are now shaped with small units for different age groups, along with common spaces for play, creation, science, music and meals. In this work, a conceptual design of a preschool for 144 children is carried out in Sävast, part of the municipality of Boden, on the basis of an alreadydeveloped local program and a given site. The purpose isto form a preschool in one level with larger common used squares and explore how good spatiality is created in the squares. At the same time, the indoor environmental comfort is taken into consideration with regard to both the childrenand the educators.
The work is initiated by a literature study in which architectural qualities, child needs and development is taken into account regarding preschools with a common used square. The study of literature is followed by three case studies at preschools in Luleå and Umeå, where both site visits and interviews are conducted. Thereafter, the results of the study of literatureand the case studies are synthesized using the ProblemSeeking method, which has a purpose of identifying needsand solutions. This results in a synthesis consisting of sixqualities which meet the most identified needs for childrenand educators. This in turn underlies the developing ofthe design concept. The synthesis leads to the following six qualities: Open plan, Challenging and varying, Levels and nests, Colour, material and textures, Light and transparentsurfaces and Creating activity spatiality’s in a bigger space.
After a site analysis, flow and connection sketches and volume studies the result is a red-colored preschool withvarying roofs. The preschool contains a larger and smallersquare which together with the restaurant creates a circulation around a courtyard. The squares results in an open space with oblique interior walls, varying ceilings, and protruding and irregular windows. Smaller spaces in the squares are mainly created using various types of non permanent furnishings, where both transparent and opaque materials with differenttextures are present.
Whether good spatiality has been created to form a pleasantindoor environment is difficult to answer when spatial experiences are individual. On the other hand, the meansthat can be used to create good spatiality in an indoorenvironment have been identified, which creates goodconditions for achieving the purpose of the design of the squares.