The plot of land secured for the daycare centre is located alongside a busy road that slopes towards the Rue des Pommiers. In order to preserve the site’s biotope, the architects of Besch da Costa Architects have designed a building that turns its back on the street and opens out into a large back garden. The building thus takes the form of a U: the main building along the street has two wings that extend in parallel towards the rear of the plot. As a result, the centre will have an intimate inner courtyard.

On the street side, the building is relatively closed and has a more urban feel. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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On the inside of the plot, a courtyard is created between the wings of the building. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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The building opens out into a garden at the other end of the plot. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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The crèche is bordered by Rue de Trèves, an existing pedestrian path and a future new street. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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All access points are at ground level, thus avoiding the need for the children to climb any stairs. The children’s rooms will occupy the part of the building surrounding the courtyard, providing them with access to this safe outdoor space. The wings contain living rooms, dormitories, sanitary facilities, a bottle room, a breastfeeding area, an educational kitchen, a pram room, a playroom and a water playroom. Specially low windows will afford the kids a direct view of the courtyard.

The living rooms all open onto the inner courtyard. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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Inside, the space is generously designed and very open. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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The children will have furniture adapted to their age. Illustration: Besch da Costa Architects

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Efforts have been made to preserve the majority of the trees on the site, as well as the hedge bordering its southern and eastern edges. Only a small part of the hedge needs to be uprooted and replanted so as to enlarge the garden space.

The building materials were chosen to respect the health of the building’s future users: rock wool for the insulation of the exterior façade, organic paint for the interior walls, and aluminium and wood for the exterior joinery.

Specs

Owner: City of Luxembourg

Architect: Besch da Costa Architects

Consulting engineers (static): Best Consulting Engineers

Consulting engineers (technical): Luxautec

Landscape architects: Areal Landscape Architecture

Construction site: May 2020 – December 2022

Estimated budget: €8.6m

This article in Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.