INSIGHTS

2024.01.11

MEP Engineering Speak: Environment and Equipment Idea Note Vol. 10

Delivering light, wind, and temperature to the entire space

SEITOKU Kindergarten

MEP Engineering talks. Environment and equipment idea notebook TOP

Delivering light, wind, and temperature to the entire space

This is a plan to rebuild a kindergarten in a residential area of Tokyo that places importance on "integrating the educational environment for children with the living environment for the surrounding residents." The nursery rooms are open with no pillars or walls on the corners, and each room is staggered to create a space where children can feel a variety of connections with their surroundings.

Overall view of the exterior. The floor plan has open corners for good visibility, visually connecting the inside and outside of the building and site.

Taking advantage of these spatial characteristics of "open corners and misaligned layout," we worked on a passive design that delivers light and air, which are important for children, to the entire space, and an active design that uses floor radiant heating and cooling to deliver a comfortable temperature to every corner, in order to create an open and comfortable activity environment with less of a draft. This article will introduce these air conditioning plans in detail.

The atrium between the first and second floors (left) and a cross-sectional environmental diagram (right). By integrating the nursery rooms with the common areas rather than dividing them into smaller sections, air circulates throughout the building.
View of the nursery room and atrium from the second floor corridor (left). The plan makes use of the corners and offsets to allow in light and ventilation (right).

Creating a comfortable space for children through air conditioning

子どもたちの居住域は大人よりも低い位置にあるため、足元から空調を行うことが最も快適性を高めます。「床暖房を入れたい」というクライアントからの要望を受け、床暖房だけではなく床冷房も導入すれば、天井高を高く保った開放的な園舎にできます、と提案し、全保育室への採用が決まりました。
「成徳幼稚園」では、空気式床放射冷暖房を採用しています。床下にダクトを展開し、下方から床面に空調空気を当て、窓際に設けた床開口からその空気を滲み出させるこの方式は、ドラフト感を抑えつつ、放射効果だけではなく対流効果も得られるのがよいところです。また、ダクトを展開するには、各室の構造壁に開口を設ける必要があります。床下ダクト用の開口と保育室の小窓は位置を揃え、建物の強度低下を最小限に抑えました。

The "Play Base" is a space between the childcare rooms, with an air conditioner installed in the ceiling. A small window was installed in the wall directly above the underfloor duct, which cannot be used as structural material.

Verifying the effectiveness through experiments and measurements, and actually putting it into operation

Because we wanted to thoroughly confirm the benefits of the air-type floor radiant heating and cooling system, we received cooperation from the manufacturer by holding several experiments and experience sessions. During the design stage, with the client present, we confirmed the effects of this method, such as the "cool feeling" and "warm feeling" that reach the entire room, as well as concerns such as the absence of condensation on the floor during operation. At the on-site stage, we carried out numerous experiments and measurements, such as verifying the wind speed and static pressure by changing the shape of the floor outlet, and the behavior of drying shrinkage during heating by changing the floor material, and created a comfortable space.

Left: Air-type floor radiant heating and cooling system installation.
Top right: Contour diagram of floor temperature. You can see that the entire floor is cold. Bottom right: Lie down and experience the performance. Your whole body feels cool and comfortable!

After the completion, I was very happy to hear from the client that "we always explain about the air conditioning at tours for parents." I am very pleased that they were satisfied with the comfortable space that is unique to SEITOKU Kindergarten, which was realized through numerous ingenious efforts.

  1. Sanyo Industries' Radiant Cooling and Heating Floor System "Air Floor"

Designer's Voice

Designer

Mechanical MEP Engineering Department / Joined in 2018

Yumei Ko

Ko Yumei

The first project I was primarily responsible for after joining the company was the SEITOKU Kindergarten. It's a building I have a lot of attachment to, as all the other designers in other fields were also in the same year. I started the project not knowing what to do, but everyone in the company, as well as the client, contractor, and manufacturer, taught me all sorts of things, and I was able to move forward with it. Thank you very much.
*Affiliation at the time of project assignment

Data

Property Name

SEITOKU Kindergarten
Location

8-24-2 Toshima, Kita-ku, Tokyo
Site area

Approx. 1,892 m²
Total floor area

Approx. 1,499 m²
scale

3 floors above ground
structure

RC Construction
Completion

January 2022
Main Applications

kindergarten
Design/ Construction Supervision

Mitsubishi Jisho Design
Construction

Fujita Corporation
Awards
  • iF DESIGN AWARD 2023 Winner (Architecture Category: Public Architecture) (iF International Forum Design / Germany)
  • 2023 GOOD DESIGN AWARD (Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) /Japan)
  • 16th Kids Design Awards / 2022 Kids Design Awards (NPO Kids Design Council / Japan)

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MEP Engineering talk. Environment and equipment idea notebook

Update : 2024.01.11

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