When designing for children, you have to think fun, exciting, and colorful as well as safe, which is exactly what Paris-based firm, KOZ Architects created when they designed the Youth Center & Sports Facility for Saint Cloud, France. What immediately stands out are the brightly colored tinted glass windows, as well as the the modern concrete exterior. And when you see the inside, you realize how incredibly fun it must be to hang out there. This isn’t some candy-coated gingerbread day care center, this is an exciting world for kids to run and jump around in, and hopefully even the adults are enjoying it too.
The three-story youth center is 17,000 sq feet of fun with gyms, basketball courts, climbing walls and various other activity rooms for children to let loose. KOZ want to make sure the center was built so kids could run free without getting hurt or worrying the adults too much. For instance, KOZ designed the corridors and stairwells to be wider than necessary for regulation so there was more space for the kids.
KOZ chose the 8-inch thick prefabricated concrete panels because they were visually appealing, minimized construction materials, as well as acted as the load bearing supports for the building. The panels were prefabricated and pre-tinted in Normandy before being shipped to the location.
What makes the center stand out is the brilliant exterior, fashioned from prefabricated concrete panels, aluminum framing and jewel-toned windows in almost every color of the rainbow. The bright windows just make you happy and want to go play. Additionally, KOZ utilized natural daylighting with large windows and skylights minimizing the need for artificial lighting, and the building relies on a solar hot water heating system for hot water.
photo credits: KOZ Architects
