The environment as the third teacher – this principle,
developed by the educationalists of the famous, Italian
Reggio Emilia movement in the 1960s, is practised at
the Kita am Gleis daycare facility in Berlin. The principle
states that a child’s personality is strengthened by teachers
encouraging them to pursue their own interests and
develop their individual skills. The environment is of
fundamental importance in this concept: openness and
transparency are vital factors for the successful implementation
of this educational approach. Numerous glass
elements in the interior of the Kita am Gleis daycare facility
provide views into play areas and spaces for experiential
learning. The children are encouraged to follow their
own curiosity, to make discoveries and reach their own
decisions. The building materials are intended to foster
a thirst for knowledge and create a safe and healthy
environment for children. When choosing a floor, the
nursery opted for the rubber floor covering noraplan® valua. This flooring is attractive, healthy, environmentally
compatible and hard-wearing. It also has excellent acoustic
and ergonomic properties. All this promotes a positive
and child-friendly ambience.
The Kita am Gleis daycare facility in the Tempelhof-
Schöneberg district of Berlin has space for 33 children
aged one to six. “Be the inspiration - be inspired!” is the
motto of Mahalo gGmbH, independent sponsors of child
and youth welfare. The facility promotes individual, independent
development and is also involved in the state
programme “Gute und gesunde Kita” (good and healthy
daycare). The objective of this programme is to improve
the educational opportunities and health prospects of
children in the long term. The children can play in the two
spacious outdoor areas and a movement room. The little
explorers and artists can engage their own creativity in
the laboratory and studio. The interior is divided by large
glass panels and is airy and bright to give a feeling of
transparency and aid orientation. One particular highlight
is a window inlaid in the floor of the piazza on the upper
storey that allows the kids to peep down into the lower
floor. The fitted cupboards made from pale birch wood
feature large openings for the little ones to crawl into and
use as hidey-holes. The owners chose noraplan® valua
rubber flooring in a warm shade of beige. This shade
augments the atmosphere whilst still being unobtrusive,
and helps to accentuate the brightly coloured furnishings.
“Rubber is an eco-friendly, authentic and high-quality material,
making it the perfect choice for nurseries”, explains
architect Jason Danziger of thinkbuild architecture BDA.
Mr Danziger has already completed several projects
using
nora® rubber floorings and his long-term experiences
with these floor coverings have been positive. The
floor coverings are durable yet comfortable – ideal for
children who spend so much of their time on the floor.
“noraplan
® valua has an interesting directional texture that
gives it a dynamic feel”, continues Danziger. The plain
colour of the floor connects the various rooms visually.
Like all the shades used in this interior (mainly shades of
blue, grey and beige), the shade of this noraplan valua
floor comes from the NCS R90B colour family. It was precisely
custom-matched using the NCS colour code in
Weinheim.
Healthy floor coverings promote healthy
indoor
air
“Many daycare facility operators opt for natural construction
materials that have a positive effect on the indoor air
quality in order to ensure a healthy environment”, explains
Martina Hoock, nora’s market-sector specialist for education.
nora® floorings are free from PVC and free from plasticizers
and halogens. They were the first resilient floor
coverings ever to be awarded the Blue Angel eco label
for low emissions. There is no need to coat or seal noraplan
® valua floors. This means that the rubber flooring
can be cleaned easily and economically using ecofriendly
methods. “The durability and low-cost upkeep of
nora® floors are key advantages when considering lifetime
costs, particularly for municipal facilities, and also
make a contribution to sustainability”, continues Hoock.
Resilient rubber floorings for quieter rooms
and safe playtimes
Good acoustics are vital in nurseries to allow uninterrupted
play and education. This is because a quieter environment
has not only been proven to result in lower levels of
stress and tension, it also promotes speech intelligibility
and so enhances children’s language skills. Along with
acoustic insulation on the walls and ceiling, the floor covering
in the Kita am Gleis daycare facility also contributes
to a peaceful environment. The permanently elastic quality
of rubber means that nora® floors considerably soften
the patter of tiny feet. At the same time, the flooring feels
warm and inviting to sit on, making it the ideal surface for
babies who are still crawling. Children can safely run and
play on the non-slip, permanently elastic nora® floor. And
if they do take a tumble, the floor reduces the force of the
impact and therefore also the risk of injury.
Modern architecture that provides a varied, creative yet
still comfortable ambience: the Kita am Gleis daycare facility
is paving the way for the explorers of the future.
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