01 Hope Cannot Be Hidden: Embracing the Beauty of Life Across Time
From the vast universe to the depths of the ocean, humanity’s quest to explore the dimensions of life and the unknown never ceases. In every field, pioneers push the wheels of history forward, guiding us into new realms. As Oscar Wilde famously said, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” This radiant starlight adorns the cosmic sea, inspiring the Deca Architectural Design Center to bridge the ideal with reality through an innovative competition.
The intricate landscape design encourages children to play and explore outdoors. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Located in the heart of Lu’an City, Anhui Province, Shucheng County is renowned as a cradle of Chinese dragon culture and the hometown of the esteemed Western Han educator Wenweng. With a rich heritage in education and culture, the region has witnessed evolving educational philosophies and increasing demands for functional architecture. Valuing early childhood education, Shucheng urgently required kindergarten facilities that reflect these aspirations.
Excerpt from Laozi’s Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8:
The highest good is like water,
Nurturing all things without striving.
Because of the people’s sins,
It is close to the Dao.
The pinnacle of goodness mirrors water’s nature,
Surrounding all without competing for glory.
This is the closest way: The Great Way of Education.
From Chapter 78:
No one is weaker than water, yet it conquers the strong.
Though fragile, it overcomes the invincible.
△ Project location map © Deca Architectural Design Center
The Tao Te Ching, China’s “King of Ten Thousand Classics,” embodies profound wisdom with just over 5,000 words, recitable in 20 minutes. Its simple yet profound teachings act as a wellspring of vitality, guiding us toward clarity amid confusion.
△ Open terraces and corridors foster connectivity. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Situated in Shucheng, Anhui, the project is a full-time, high-quality international kindergarten operated by Anhui Sansi Education Investment Co., Ltd. Nestled between Meihe East Road and Liren Road in the urban district, it is surrounded by residential buildings, hospitals, and government offices. Covering 12,509 square meters, it accommodates nearly 800 children.
The outdoor spaces feature a unified design language, offering a peaceful and open natural experience akin to a public park.
The garden enjoys abundant sunlight and serves as an outdoor playground for children of various ages.
From inside, a corner of the campus echoes with children’s laughter and outdoor activities. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Like an undefined raindrop, the Deca Architectural Design Center, based in Shucheng, explores “vitality” through a cultural and local lens. Embracing heritage and a forward-looking vision, the center connects deeply with nature, embarking on a unique journey to embody vitality in design.
△ Aerial view during construction of Anhui Shucheng Vitality Kindergarten © Deca Architectural Design Center
Shucheng infuses education with symbolic depth, embracing “vitality” as a multidimensional dynamic system centered on “love, creativity, and imagination.” Drawing inspiration from the local affinity for water, the design fosters creativity and reflects the city’s spirit.
The Deca Architectural Design Center seeks to honor Shucheng’s cultural heritage through kindergarten design—breaking away from tradition while preserving local soul. The architecture grows organically within the city, embodying life’s explorations and unique worldviews, balancing focus with a touch of free spirit.
02 Softness and Strength
△ Dynamic, relaxed, comfortable, and inclusive. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Though ideals and reality may diverge, they ultimately converge. The Deca Architectural Design Center reinterprets water’s essence—balancing protection with development, tradition with modernity, individuality with community. It infuses Shucheng with youthful energy and creates a hidden paradise where children can discover themselves.
△ Circular pathways encourage spontaneous interaction, creating an outdoor playground for children’s free play. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Typical buildings often appear mechanical and rigid, but Deca Architectural Design Center aims for avant-garde designs—imbuing structures with dynamism and visual elegance. This vitality transcends fog and brings life’s energy to children.
△ Visual connections overlap across different spaces. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
An open, bright interior space blends dynamic and tranquil atmospheres. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
For energetic children, kindergartens must offer safe spaces to run freely—spaces without dead ends where discipline yields to dynamic order.
03 The Magic of Freedom and Unleashing Poetic Imagination
The spiral pathways link spaces fluidly, extending spatial boundaries through visual connections. © Hu Rong’s photo courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
This kindergarten embodies countless hidden loops, symbolizing rebirth and a “ring of life” that reflects boundless vitality. Deca Architectural Design Center aspires to express not only nature’s beauty but also the harmony between human spirit and the natural world.
The encompassing form creates a gathering place, echoing Shucheng’s mountainous landscape and the Huizhou cultural philosophy of harmony between heaven and humanity, learning from nature.
Natural environments greatly influence children. The circular paths encourage running and hiding, while geometric forms inspire play areas. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Sunlight, water, and air are essential for life. Though fleeting, architecture amplifies their presence, touching hearts deeply.
The 12,509-square-meter “Vitality Kindergarten” forms a cohesive, cyclical space where classrooms and activity areas loop back to their starting point.
Alternating densities in horizontal elements create rhythmic patterns of light and shadow. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Light and shadow flow gently indoors, like a steady irrigation.
Architectural designs utilize perforated facades, allowing light to filter through geometric openings, transforming the building into a vessel of light and shadow that blurs boundaries gracefully.
Plants flourish, shadows sway gently, creating a relaxed atmosphere. © Zhang Qi
Careful color design radiates warmth into the surrounding environment. © Existing Architectural Images
Over time, vitality grows across the campus, forming diverse shapes beneath lush tree canopies—life is peaceful and beautiful here.
A tranquil atmosphere creates a focused learning environment; every space indoors and outdoors is a potential classroom. © Existing Architectural Images, photos by Deca Architectural Design Center
Classrooms enjoy dual natural lighting and southern exposure. © Existing Architectural Images, photos by Deca Architectural Design Center
Indoor spaces remain simple and practical yet support diverse functions, nurturing children’s “daydreams” with openness and warmth that connect them to nature.
Subtle, fresh interior colors convey distinctive moods. © Existing Architectural Images, photos by Deca Architectural Design Center
04 In Tune with Nature and All Things
Activity areas open directly into courtyards, dismantling barriers. Children play outdoors, basking in sunlight and gentle breezes. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
The project reflects chief architect Wang Junbao’s visionary creativity, blending futuristic, natural, artistic, and educational themes. Since 2020, “Vitality Kindergarten” expresses unique perspectives on the world through his design.
△ Night aerial view © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
△ Aerial top view © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
The unique form and subtle natural interpretations breathe vivid life into the kindergarten. It serves as a gateway to a mysterious world, inviting children to explore the harmony between humanity and nature. Beyond visual delight, it awakens the inner spirit and celebrates life’s endless wonders.
Children’s activity facilities encourage exploration and discovery. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Yuanguan Kindergarten, connected to surrounding fields, emphasizes nature’s influence and serves as a future outdoor educational classroom. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Good architecture grows and resonates with nature, emotions, and life’s boundless admiration. The “Vitality Kindergarten” harmonizes with its environment, inspiring joy in construction and design.
Pure aesthetic framework meets everyday life, bathed in sunset glow. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
△ Architectural curves enclosing wall details © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
With changing seasons, time, and light, the building’s image evolves. Inspired by Huizhou’s charm, the kindergarten becomes a spiritual home where children can embark on their journeys, nurtured by the timeless drop of water fueling young hearts.
The distinctive exterior design adheres to rigorous geometric principles. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Nature’s creation follows its own order, blending old and new light and shadow. The project’s composition radiates clarity and harmony.
The carefully crafted façade projects order, inviting children’s imagination to soar.
In-depth studies of pure geometric forms combined with varied window openings. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Reimagining architecture and nature in harmonious resonance. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
△ Current site conditions and surroundings © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Deca Architectural Design Center’s works consistently showcase unique personality—whether exploring scale, context, or humanistic education—offering fresh surprises every time.
05 The Power of Upward Movement Reveals Hidden Vitality
The combination of architectural details, rooftop perspectives, and elegant flowing forms reveals a clear sense of order. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Balancing the solidity of heavy materials with emotional tension, nature, and surrealism, the building’s form and spatial sequence create a dynamic life force bursting from within.
△ Night aerial view highlighting sculptural building volumes. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
This project emphasizes upward movement, challenging static perceptions and evoking cherished memories. Everything here is designed for curious children to embrace, blending visual order with outdoor spaces that captivate the senses and spirit.
Partial view of architecture, illustrating spatial sequence and structure. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
The circular façade serves as a fundamental visual language, offering fresh perspectives and possibilities. “Vitality Kindergarten” bridges fantasy and reality, breaking monotony and balance.
Interactive installations spark children’s curiosity. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Simple material combinations showcase meticulous attention to detail. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
The fluidity of space—freedom, circular connections, and site-specific forms—evoke a sense of temporal progression.
△ Construction site © Deca Architectural Design Center
The building’s exterior shifts dramatically from different viewpoints. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
The Deca Architectural Design Center embraces free dialogue with architecture. Their sculptural designs embody vitality—not mere replicas but dynamic fusions of form and time.
△ Rhythmic facades rising upward. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
△ Partial exterior façade © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
The project integrates a profound understanding of nature, blurring the lines between interior, architecture, and landscape. This approach allows the warmth of nature to permeate even indoor spaces.
Exquisite exterior design. © Zhang Qi, courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Geometric control shapes the architectural form. © Architectural images courtesy of Deca Architectural Design Center
Children are encouraged to embrace every ray of sunshine, every plant, and every breeze, experiencing their warmth in the most delicate and wonderful ways.
The Vitality Kindergarten, like Shucheng itself, balances tension and relaxation, always brimming with potential. Amid the city’s bustle, it opens a starry sky full of endless opportunities for children to explore life’s many possibilities. These unexpected potentials quietly unfold and spread.
The birth of the “Vitality Kindergarten” is a life-driven adventure, transcending conventional forms and human limitations. It explores the multidimensional energy of life and architecture’s possibilities. Through pure volumes, Deca Architectural Design Center creates works radiating vitality, resonating emotionally with children, reflecting on life and humanity, and showcasing architecture’s power to surprise and inspire.
Project Information
Project Name: Shucheng Vitality Kindergarten
Building Area: 12,509 square meters
Location: Shucheng, Anhui, China
Architectural Design: Deca Architectural Design Center
Interior Design: Deca Architectural Design Center
Landscape Design: Deca Architectural Design Center
Chief Architect: Wang Junbao
Design Team: Tian Jiabin, Ou Jiyong, Fu Huiming, Tan Huimin, Lu Qingyin, Yang Ming, Zhang Zhigang, Chen Jian, Gao Xin, Tang Shengyan, Tu Xueliang
Construction Drawing Development: Shi Wei, Yang Song, Zeng Fei, Wang Peng, Dong Quan, Li Pengfan, Chang Junhao, Chen Guanyu, Tao Hexin, Wu Xiaoyong
Structural Design: Shi Wei, Zeng Fei
Design Period: March 2021 – September 2021
Construction Period: October 2021 – April 2023
Photography Team: Existing Architectural Images
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