Competition - Schwetzinger Terrasse

The terrace stretches between promenade and Langer Anger as an elegant, multifunctional “urban salon.” A continuous natural stone surface, ornamental cherry trees, and water features define its character, while subtle separations mediate between public space and adjacent residential areas. Integrated delivery access and lighting elements ensure functionality without compromising spatial quality. At its center, the daycare appears as a sculptural solitaire, surrounded by water and framed by seating edges, while tree-lined edges connect the square to the wider urban context.

The daycare building is conceived as a compact, fortress-like volume, emphasizing its public role. Inside, a light-filled central space with double-height areas forms the communal heart, connecting dining, activity, and group areas across two levels. All group rooms are oriented south toward the garden, enabling direct indoor-outdoor interaction while maintaining clearly defined private zones. Flexible layouts and adaptable partitions support changing needs and diverse educational uses.

The design integrates sustainability as an educational principle. Daylight, natural ventilation, and seasonal adaptability are made visible through spatial organization and facade elements, fostering environmental awareness. A timber lightweight structure with prefabricated elements ensures efficiency, while warm natural materials shape a child-friendly atmosphere. The enclosed garden functions as a safe and varied play landscape, with modeled topography, diverse surfaces, and vegetation encouraging movement, exploration, and sensory experience. Energy performance follows passive house standards, combining high insulation, decentralized ventilation with heat recovery, solar energy use, and natural cooling strategies to create a comfortable and resource-efficient environment.