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An international business group gift this after-school care to a small EQ-torn town in Japan

   
Yamada-Machi  is a small central coastal town of Japan struggling after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake. International corporations thus gifted the town an after-school care and community facility as a place to play, heal and come together.


Designed by the Dutch firm Van Der Architects, the simple structure employs an irregular plan and a limited material/colour (natural timber, translucent polycarbonate and aggregate concrete) palette. Providing a neutral backdrop to the activities occurring within.


The building's other characteristics including skylights, built-in joinery, an internal courtyard and deep inset sills for sitting on. The building also takes into account the winter and summer sun path to maximise the potential of the sun.


The project shows how building for children post-disaster may create a seed of regeneration - instilling happiness and hope for a community.

 

site by Ana Degenaar