Xiaofengfeng Kindergarten, located in Simao District of Pu’er City, spans 7,776 square meters with a building area of approximately 7,000 square meters, accommodating 12 classrooms. Despite a modest floor area ratio, the narrow and irregular site—stretching 130 meters north to south and narrowing to just 30 meters east to west—presents significant design challenges.
The design goal was clear: to create diverse, engaging spaces for young children while adhering to lighting standards, activity area requirements, and floor limitations mandated by regulations. This was achieved within the constraints of unique land use, limited budget, and a tight construction schedule, ensuring the kindergarten meets the essential needs for children’s living and learning environments.
To address these constraints, the design team adopted a straightforward framework: the entire building is organized on a regular spatial grid of 8 by 8 meters horizontally and 3.9 meters vertically. This approach simplifies construction, reduces costs, and ensures a high-quality finish. It also guarantees that rooms are uniform, orderly, and efficiently utilized.
Within this spatial framework, classroom spaces function like modular storage boxes. The design breaks down larger activity areas and multi-purpose rooms into five smaller blocks, arranged flexibly to fit the narrow site. These blocks are positioned on the southern part of the plot, ensuring that every classroom faces south and benefits from abundant natural light. Administrative offices are grouped together on the northern side, also oriented southward for optimal lighting.
The remaining framework areas are dedicated to children’s activity spaces, creating a dynamic topological relationship between rooms and outdoor areas. This flexible layout forms outdoor play venues of varied shapes and locations, each conveniently accessible from classrooms, well-lit, and offering pleasant views. These functional and recreational zones are vertically integrated, establishing a comprehensive teaching environment.
These varied activity areas serve as platforms for a wide range of educational activities. Each outdoor venue is designed with unique themes and features, including starry stages with seating for performances, ever-changing light and shadow corridors, deep enclosed tunnels, and shared steps illuminated by colorful sunlight. These engaging design elements create unique experiential moments, enhancing the enjoyment and exploration for children.
Due to site limitations, children’s outdoor activity zones are distributed across multiple floors, enriching spatial experiences through careful study of children’s behavior. The design envisions children freely exploring the environment—observing weather and time changes, discovering insects and flowers, playing, resting, and learning alongside peers. These activities are integral to childhood and central to the educational mission of the kindergarten.
Postscript: Designed under many constraints, the Xiaofengfeng Kindergarten in Simao District offers a highly rational and child-friendly solution. Since its completion, it has been warmly welcomed by both the principal and the children. The hope is that educators and students will explore new ways to use the space, adopt innovative teaching methods, and develop a distinctive educational environment.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
Project Information
Architect: Tao Zhi Studio, Architectural Design and Research Institute, South China University of Technology
Area: 6,788 m²
Project Year: 2023
Photographer: Mingjing Architectural Photography
Manufacturers: Three Trees, Burberry, Jianmei, Chuanao
Lead Architects: Chen Zijian, Su Xiaoyue, Guo Jia
Design Team: Chen Xiangrong, Deng Lina, Cai Yutong, Yuan Hanjie, Liu Jianhong
Structural Team: Jiang Yi, Yi Weiwen, Hong Zhou, Li Zhifeng
Water Supply and Drainage Design: Yu Xiaolong, Liu Xiaogang, Wang Qihai, Ma Shuangqun
Electrical Design: Huang Xiaofeng, Yang Xiangyun, Yuan Jiye, Liu Minjun
Intelligent Design: Huang Zhiwei, Su Ruichang, Gao Fansen
Landscape Design: Yan Zhong, Feng Caixia, Wu Chaohui, Wang Shanshan
HVAC Design: Chen Zuming, Hu Qian
Energy Saving Design: Shi Gang, Li Yuhang, Xu Lingling
Resident Design: Li Keyi
Construction Contractor: CCCC First Highway Engineering Group Co., Ltd
Project Owner: Pu’er Education and Sports Industry Development Co., Ltd
Location: Pu’er City
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