Daycare building made of wood and straw

The garden bungalow of the Seepferdchen daycare centre on Seddiner See scores points with its creative construction and design finesse.

The Brandenburg municipality of Seddiner See south of Potsdam in Germany was once divided by mighty concrete elements in the east and west. Today, Bundesstraße 2 runs there and the districts of Neuseddin on the one hand and Seddin and Kähnsdorf on the other are growing ever closer together. Among other things, the inhabitants are proud of their 218 hectare lake, which is home to a family of beavers.

Other tourist attractions and convenient transport connections are also prompting more and more people to move to the community. Three new construction areas have emerged in recent years. This is a good reason for the municipality to invest in the infrastructure and set up the nurseries for the future.

Straw as a sustainable insulation material

This is how the Seepferdchen day care centre in the Seddin district came to be expanded in 2019 with an innovative garden bungalow, which offers a total of 40 children a unique space to be creative together.

The Berlin-based architecture firm "Werk A architektur" commissioned with the planning was also creative in the choice of the insulation material used in the exterior walls and roof spaces of the single-storey building. Straw was used here as a renewable, almost climate-neutral and locally sourced material, which ensures a balanced indoor climate in all seasons.

Wood in "herringbone" pattern impresses both inside and out

But while the straw isn't visible, the simple structure impresses visually on the outside and inside with lots of wood in "herringbone" pattern, which reflects the proximity to the lake. The oblong building opens with large sliding windows to the daycare outdoor area and creates a flowing boundary between the inside and outside. The red roof creates a beautiful contrast to the light wood of the façade.

There is also a lot of wood inside, which adds a cosy charm to the light rooms. In addition to ceramic split panels, high-quality mosaic parquet in "herringbone" pattern is also used as a floor covering, which harmonises with the light wooden walls and wooden staircase. The stairs lead to sophisticated retreat rooms on the ceiling level. Bright Troldtekt acoustic panels were installed on the sloping roofs, which match the other materials perfectly, round off the overall design and significantly increase the quality of the daycare experience thanks to their acoustic properties.