Activity areas and quiet zones that create space for
adventure and provide a sense of security – all of this
can be found in the bilingual child daycare centre
Hucky Bucky in Berlin. A forest theme is at the heart of
the interior design. baukind architects modelled it on
the Norwegian children’s book classic “Hakke Bakke
Skogen” by Thorbjørn Egners a fairy tale in which the
animals from the forest are good friends – a close-knit
community where the big ones help the little ones ones
and vice versa. Values of security, respect and peaceful
cooperation also reflect the pedagogical approach of
the daycare centre operator, Nobiwerk/Nordische
Bildungswerkstatt, and were the starting point for the
interior-design concept. Featuring stylised trees, a clearing
and a lake, the forest spreads throughout the rooms of
the daycare centre and gives structure to the floor layout.
Natural materials round off a natural ambience. nora®
rubber floor coverings were used, some of which were
laid in the form of inlays. The expressive floor layout creates
new links between spaces as well as different zones for
activities, quiet spaces and play. The attractive designs
and their health-supporting and environmentally friendly
features were also positive arguments in favour of the
“Made in Weinheim” products.
Opened in 2019, the “Hucky Bucky” daycare centre offers
25 placements in two groups – from infants to pre-school.
“We wanted to bring nature into the centre during the
design process”, explained Claudia Reimann, Project
Manager at the Berlin-based architectural and design
firm baukind. This applied both to materials and interior
design. For example, all the wood used in the daycare
centre used coloured oils rather than paint to retain the
wood’s natural character. “Our goal was to give the
children as varied a sensory and spatial experience as
possible – both haptically and visually”, Reimann adds.
Reflecting this goal, the planners consciously opted for
the rubber floor coverings noraplan®
signa and noraplan® stone in different designs, i.e. different granulate optics,
as well as with different surface finishes, such as slip
resistance classes R9 and R10. This means that the surfaces
also feel different. “The nora® floors were ideal
for this project – they are environmentally friendly, fit
perfectly into the design concept with their natural colours,
and also offer ergonomic comfort and a pleasant feel
thanks to their elasticity and matt surfaces”, the architect
explained. Thanks to their natural colouring – from warm
grey and beige tones to contrasting colours – the rubber
floors in the daycare center create a welcoming atmosphere
while the integrated inlays enhance their visual
appeal.
Inlays in rubber flooring create zones
Circles integrated into the rubber floors and spanning
all spaces create a zone structure within the daycare
centre, providing connections and guidance throughout
the rooms. In the group rooms, inlays in the shape of
water lilies, represent the forest lake as well as the forest
clearing with a climbing platform and hammock.
“Inlays are a widely used interior design technique in
daycare centres and schools where they give rooms an
individual character”, explained Martina Hoock, nora
market segment specialist for the education sector.
Another key design element in the Hucky Bucky daycare
centre is the smooth transition from one level to
another in the rooms – from floors to walls and from
walls to ceilings. In the hallway and at the climbing
platform there are continuous abstract tree crowns on
the ceilings, while the floor covering in the bathroom
transitions into the wall design with rubber being
replaced by mirror tiles. “This creates a feeling of water
pools, with the room seeming to embrace the children”,
commented Reimann explaining the ideas behind the
designs.
Healthy floor coverings promote healthy
indoor air
“In addition to a well-designed room concept, creating
eco-friendly and healthy learning environments is a
priority in designing child daycare centres”, said Hoock.
“Many daycare operators therefore ensure that the quality
of the indoor air is healthy and opt for building materials
that enable this”. nora® floors are free of PVC, contain
no phthalate plasticisers or halogens and were the first
resilient floor coverings ever to be awarded the ‘Blue
Angel eco-label…for low emissions’. Coating and sealing
are unnecessary so the rubber flooring can be easily
and economically cleaned using eco-friendly methods.
“Durability combined with the low-cost upkeep of nora®
floors are key advantages when considering whole-life
costs for both public and private facilities, and also
contribute to sustainability”, Hoock continued.
A material with built-in added value. Rubber floor coverings
offer an ideal combination of attractive design, ecofriendliness
and sustainability - and not just in the “Hucky
Bucky” daycare centre.
United Arab Emirates | English
