Clover House

The small town of Okazaki, where the school is located, boasts views of rice fields and mountains, characteristic of the Aichi prefecture. The kindergarten originally operated out of the client’s family home, where the school began as a humble operation. As space became tight, the client wanted to expand the kindergarten. The issue was that if the building were removed to create a larger space, the memories of the building, both as the family home and as a school, would be lost. Therefore, the design of Clover House respects both the tangible and intangible aspects of that history; the two-story family home has been maintained, but dynamically transformed into a fully developed educational institution.

MAD’s renovation preserved the original wooden structure but added a white otherworldly skin that gently wraps around the structure like a piece of cloth. It is a pure white canvas that brings to mind a magical cave or a pop-up fort and fosters curiosity and imagination. This architectural conversation between old and new cultivates social bonds between different groups of people, including the client, the children, their parents, and local residents, creating a sense of family and connection among them.

Visible throughout the main learning area, the interior space is translucent and enclosed so that it easily adapts to different teaching activities. Intimate areas are formed, creating private, public, and in-between spaces. Windows in various shapes recognizable to a child’s eye allow sunlight to sift in and create an ever-changing play of shadows that encourages students’ curiosity and imagination.