A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Goes to Kendall International Preschool by Cocoon Architecture Ltd.

Cocoon Architecture Ltd. recognized for interior space and exhibition design by the international grand jury of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2020 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Kendall International Preschool by Cocoon Architecture Ltd., designed for Cocoon Architecture Ltd, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2019 - 2020 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

What the A' Design Award Means

The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

Regarding Kendall International Preschool

Kendall International is a preschool interior located in the podium of a tower building in Hong Kong. Box-like classrooms are replaced by half-height village houses arranged around a central plaza. The plaza makes use of the high headroom of the podium and includes a climbing wall, a birdhouse set on a column, a raised walkway and a slide. Openings connect the quiet classrooms with the active plaza. Simple natural materials in white and wood tones form a calm backdrop. The layout supports learning through exploration and a sense of community.

About Cocoon Architecture Ltd.

cocoon architecture is a progressive architectural practice based in Hong Kong. Like cocoon incubates to become butterfly, the firm aims to incubate the client’s ideas and delivers them into an architecture that fits. The practice works on residential, cultural and commercial projects, providing full professional consultancy services in architecture, master planning and interior design services. The design team has won numerous international awards including: Winner of the Young Architects’ Award; 40 Under 40 Award; “Perspective Award”, Design for Asia Award, Architects Regional Council Asia Prize, etc.

Award Record

Cocoon Architecture Ltd. is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.

About the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award

The A' Interior Design Award is an international interior design competition recognizing good interior designs by interior designers and architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to interior designers, interior architects, architects and decorators from all countries. Typical entries include residential interiors, restaurants, hotels, offices, galleries and retail stores. The awarded interior designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/interior

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://designers.org/91814
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/91814
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!91814
Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/256316
Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.pmq.org.hk/shop/cocoon-architecture/?lang=en

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Kendall International Preschool
Function: Preschool
Category: Interior Space and Exhibition Design
Discipline: Spatial Design
Industry: Architecture and Packaging & Retail
Colors: Silver, Gainsboro, Lavender, Dark Gray and Gray
Images: 5
Client: Cocoon Architecture Ltd

The Recognition

Laureate: Cocoon Architecture Ltd.
Country: Hong Kong (China)
Recognition: A' Design Award
Edition: 2019 - 2020
Design ID: #91814

Credits

Team: YUNG Chung Kwong, CHIU Hang Mei Mary Grace
Image Credits: cocoon architecture ltd.

Design Details

Unique Properties: 1. Scale of CITY vs Scale of VILLAGE A village is created among the many towers. Classrooms are shaped as village houses clustering around a Central Plaza, where the kids play and run and dance. 2. Scale of ROOMS vs Scale of PODIUM Existing high headroom makes the Central Plaza like outdoor. Different levels become possible for kids to explore, like bird-house and climbing wall. 3. Scale of TEACHERS vs Scale of KIDS Kids have different ergonomics requirement. A suitably crafted space can increase their sense of belongings.
Inspiration: Hong Kong is a Vertical City. Kindergarten in podium of a tower building is common. Kids study in boxes called classrooms. Decoration is colorful, sometimes too colorful. The teaching philosophy of the kindergarten is Reggio. The two main concepts are kids as active constructor of knowledge and encourage them to be part of a big community. Thanks to the special characteristics of the site and the enlightening teaching philosophy, we challenge the scenario of a common podium kindergarten by studying: Scale of City vs Scale of Village, Scale of Rooms vs Scale of Podium & Scale of Teacher vs Scale of Kids.
Research: The podium is of high headroom. Multiple levels are provided to make full use of the height. A climbing wall, a birdhouse hung on a column and a sky walkway connected to a slide is designed for kids to explore, to move up and down experiencing the kindergarten from different angles. Columns are regarded as features to add value to space, not as obstacles. The column at entrance is turned into a chimney of a village house while the central column symbolizes a tree by the attachment of a birdhouse.
Challenge: Hong Kong is a Vertical City. Kindergarten in podium of a tower building is common. Kids study in boxes called classrooms. This kindergarten also situated in the ground floor shop of a podium in Cheung Sha Wan district amidst a very local community. Thanks to the special characteristics of the site and the enlightening teaching philosophy, we challenge the scenario of a common podium kindergarten. We would like to make this kindergarten a community within a community. Instead of box-like classrooms with enclosing walls, we put half-height village houses around a Central Plaza, all behind full transparent glass partitions. When you pass by the kindergarten, it is like a village in a city.
Project Duration and Location: The project is located in the podium of a typical podium & tower building in Hong Kong. Thanks to the special characteristic of the site, we challenge the scenario of a common podium kindergarten. The project completed in February 2018.
Specifications: This client is new to the kindergarten industry so they are open-minded and dare to challenge the current situation in Hong Kong. As it is a startup, the budget is a bit tight. We avoid luxury materials and put our effort in making full potential of the space and gives the best experience to the kids. The materials used are simple and natural, mostly in white and wooden color, making the space a backdrop for the colorful kids. Instead of celebrating the architectural space we emphasize the kids’ existence.