Ursuletul Nursery: A Spacious and Bright Space, Free from Childhood Facility Clichés

The Atelier Mass for the design of the Ursuletul Nursery starts with the idea of a spacious, bright space with pastel colors, free from the typical clichés of nursery spaces, inviting children's physical and imaginative exploration. The functional separation becomes a dialogue, dissolving the usual divisions between private and group spaces, between inside and outside, above and below. The architecture is simple and functional, with colors used to induce a calm and positive atmosphere, employing natural materials. The furniture is conceived as abstract characters populating this initial inner world of children

The opportunity to experiment with a new way of designing kindergartens came with the expansion commissioned by the local administration of the Ursulețul nursery, in the Mănăștur district of Cluj-Napoca. The site is surrounded by collective houses made of prefabricated panels, typical of the micro-districts from the 1970s. Despite this, the proximity of the forest and abundant vegetation give it a scenic and protective atmosphere. The existing building occupies the center of the lot; the expansion is located on the available free land adjacent to a pedestrian walkway and a generous green space

The need is to accommodate 6 new classes, doubling the school's capacity, as well as to place the administration offices on the upper floors. To host all these functions, the concept of a compact, unified volume with a familiar and playful silhouette is introduced: an unusual house among the blocks of the neighborhood, facing the wooded slope. A spatial tetris, where functions intersect vertically to produce unexpected geometries: the collective spaces extend upwards to the floor of the offices, amplifying the sensation of space and light. Skylights add a fifth facade to the interior space, with the ceiling also becoming a canvas upon which to project the imagination

The partitions are transient: removable walls and textile dividers form the props of a stage where space is always resized according to needs. The opening to nature was an essential theme of the project. The volume develops its relationship with the exterior through direct access to the courtyard from every classroom, and on the upper floor through framing the landscape, the sky. The large terrace above the main entrance creates a courtyard for the rooms on the upper floor and reduces the building's perceived silhouette, breaking the monotony of the structure and creating an opening towards the Făget forest