Over one year after its groundbreaking ceremony, MAD's Clover House is now complete. Built next to a rice paddy field in Okazaki, the family-run kindergarten marks MAD's first project in Japan. Siblings Kentaro and Tamaki Nara, who originally operated the kindergarten from their family's two-story house, commissioned MAD to redesign the home into a new kindergarten that can provide a nurturing learning environment.
Wrapped in a white exterior shell, the Clover House's organic form and haphazardly placed windows are meant to evoke a sense of playfulness, as if it were “designed from a child's point of view,” stated MAD founder Ma Yansong. “We wanted to create a playful piece of architecture that would stay in the memory of the kids when they have grown up.”
During special occasions and school activities, the kids can doodle on the exterior shell as a way to create memories of their time there, MAD partner and Clover House lead architect Yosuke Hayano previously told Archinect. Students can then reminisce on those drawings when they return to the Clover House to take language courses during their later school years, Hayano said.
MAD integrated the original house's existing wooden structure into the new 300 square-meter building, therefore creating a unique interior space. The Clover House is also equipped with a slide that descends from the second floor to an outdoor play area and a courtyard.
Find more photos and project drawings in the gallery below.
More on Archinect:
MAD blurs boundaries with the Clover House kindergarten and teacher housing
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