können bei der Zubereitung der Gerichte zusehen. Auch vom Koch oder Hausmeister können sie etwas lernen – beobachten, in teragieren, nachfragen. Wir haben alle Be reiche sehr transparent organisiert, damit es möglichst viel Austausch gibt. Detail: Welche Art von Vernetzung besteht zwischen den getrennten Bereichen? Zufferey: Jeder Gruppenbereich ist zugleich räumlich abgegrenzt und bietet die Mög lichkeit zur Verbindung. Genauso ist es mit den Sektoren. Die Krippe befindet sich im gleichen Geschoss wie der Hort, ist aber unabhängig organisiert. Dennoch können sich die Kinder visuell austauschen. Gerade Veranstaltungen führen alle Bereiche zu sammen. Die großen Kinder können auch jederzeit den Kleinkindbereich betreten, sollten sich aber bewusst sein, dass sie eine Schranke überschreiten, hinter der andere Gesetze herrschen.
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DETAIL: What developments has childcare in Sierre witnessed in recent years? Jacques Zufferey: In response to the changes that have taken place in the family and soci ety, we opened our first crèche in 2001, which was attached to a kindergarten. Sixty places were provided, but they were all immediately taken, and in the end, the establishment was bursting at the seams. We had to create a building for at least 200 children of different ages. Size was an important factor, therefore. The complex is divided into three sections: a crèche for children up to 18 months; a kindergarten for children up to the age of four; and an area for preschool children and for schoolchildren up to 12 years of age. DETAIL: How did you organise the flexible care times, and what constraints apply to the various age groups? Zufferey: Flexible care is a response to the wishes of parents. In spite of freely determin
able care times, though, there are never more than 200 children present. The children have quite different needs. For the very young ones who are not yet able to walk, we had to create a sheltered, “softer” environment. The floor plays a major role in that respect, because it’s where the children spend most of their time. Important aspects of the care we provide are nurture and nutrition, for which a separate kitchen was required, directly attached to the group rooms. The same applies to sanitary spaces and changing facilities for babies; and every group in the crèche has its own sleeping room. Older children, on the other hand, are more active and need less sleep. After sitting still at school for hours, they have a strong urge to move about. For them, independence is important, and the architecture should help them achieve this. But user requirements are constantly changing, so that the spaces have to be extremely flexible. Every section has its own protected external area. On the ground floor, children in the kindergarten have direct access to the garden. The open space on the other side is used mainly by day-care children, who come to the centre from the school opposite via a pedestrian bridge. The crèche children on the first floor can play on the covered terrace. And right at the top of the building, day-care children can let off steam on the roof terrace. The idea of a central atrium came from the architects and fitted in very well with my wish for a sense of openness and interrelationships. The corridors are living realms as well as spaces for movement and activity. Another meeting place is the refectory. The open kitchen is located next to the entrance, and children can watch meals being prepared there. They can learn things through observation, interaction, asking questions. We organised all areas in a very transparent form, so that a great deal of exchange takes place. Each group area is spatially discrete, yet offers scope for the creation of links. Special events, in particular, bring all realms together. The older children can enter the infants’ area whenever they wish, but they should also be aware that they are crossing a lin, beyond which different rules apply.