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Hanazono Kindergarten
The Japanese island of Miyako-jima is prone to frequent typhoons, so this kindergarten was planned by studios Hibino Sekkei and Youji no Shiro to offer children protection from heavy rain and flying debris (+ slideshow).
Located approximately 400 kilometres off the coast of Taiwan, Miyako-jima is the largest and most populous of the Miyako Islands. Tasked with designing a nursery there, architecture office Hibino Sekkei and sister company Youji no Shiro, which specialises in design for children, had to consider weather and climate conditions before anything else.
"Miyako-jima belongs to a subtropical oceanic climate," said architect Taku Hibino. "The building is required to be closed for making shade, and also open for ventilation, because the hot and humid climate causes many typhoon attacks.
Responding to this, the architects designed a two-storey structure with a steel-reinforced concrete framework, created to endure a "typhoon invasion".
Walls are clad in red ceramic tiles, designed to match the red roofing materials typical to the region, while windows and courtyards are framed by screens and canopies constructed from hollow concrete blocks.
Hakemiya Nursery School is designed to remind children of their homes