With the new “Eulennest” day nursery in Aichenbachstrasse, the town of Schorndorf has realized a remarkable educational building that combines architectural quality with a well thought-out educational concept. The daycare center was designed by (se)arch architekten bda from Stuttgart, which won out over well-known competitors in a design competition. Since September 2024, the new building has offered space for six groups in all-day care – on two levels that blend sensitively into the green surroundings.

The design language of the new building is unusual, but by no means obtrusive: an expressively curved roof rests on a simple structure and is reminiscent of either an indoor riding arena or a circus tent – an image that fits well with the liveliness and imagination of the future users. The architects see the roof as a connecting element: it spans the various functions and mediates between the park-like surroundings and the built space.

The daycare center is located at the transition between the residential area and the landscape – a sensitive interface that was cleverly solved architecturally. The timber construction is based on the loose structure of the neighboring buildings and remains at eye level with the site in terms of scale and materials. Thanks to its natural colors and soft lines, the building appears inviting and child-friendly despite its size.

The daycare center is accessed via the east. The entrance area houses the management rooms, a spacious exercise room and a central staircase that connects the two levels. The spatial organization follows a clear pedagogical idea: the group rooms for children under the age of three are located on the first floor – with direct access to protected outdoor areas. On the upper floor, the older children have space to play, learn and try things out.

The heart of the upper floor is a central play corridor, which is accessible from all group rooms. The rooms are organized around this interior space – an arrangement that provides orientation and promotes communication. Daylight enters the interior of the building via a generous skylight dome. This not only creates a friendly atmosphere, but also supports the natural indoor climate. The space on the upper floor is complemented by a kitchen and a creative room – places for cooking, crafting and experimenting together.

The Eulennest daycare center is not only an architecturally successful example of modern educational buildings, but also a clear commitment to sustainability. The use of wood as the main structural and design material ensures pleasant room acoustics and a healthy indoor climate – important factors, especially in facilities for children. In addition, the new building meets high energy standards and thus contributes to the responsible use of resources.

Read also: Daycare center in Stuttgart-Hedelfingen by larob. studio für architektur.

Cornelia – always two steps ahead! Cornelia Hahn Oberlander passed away at the end of May 2021 at the age of 99 – one month before her 100th birthday. The Canadian landscape architect with German roots was considered the “grande dame of landscape architecture”. An obituary by Daniel Roehr.

Cornelia – always two steps ahead! Cornelia Hahn Oberlander passed away at the end of May 2021 at the age of 99 – one month before her 100th birthday. The Canadian landscape architect with German roots was considered the “grande dame of landscape architecture”. An obituary.

Just one month before her 100th birthday, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander passed away on May 22, 2021 in Vancouver at the age of 99. Those who affectionately called her by her first name expressed their immense respect for what she achieved as a world-renowned landscape architect. At the same time, those around her always honored her generosity, her interest in meeting and connecting people, and her ability to share her wealth of knowledge with others.

Cornelia Hahn Oberlander was one of the most important figures in international landscape architecture for over 70 years. She was educated at Harvard by some of the most respected planners of the 20th century – including Walter Gropius. After graduating, she studied with the masters of landscape architecture, James Rose and Dan Kiley. As the sixth woman to study landscape architecture at Harvard, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander paved the way for many women in the profession. She led by example, instilling self-confidence and support for women in a profession that until then had been dominated by men.

Always ahead of her time

Cornelia Hahn Oberlander was a landscape architect who exemplified the highest standards in design processes. She researched each project carefully. How and with what rigor can be read in Susan Herrington’s book “Cornelia Hahn Oberlander: Making the Modern Landscape”. She was always two steps ahead of the current discourse, was already involved in participatory processes in the design of outdoor living areas in the middle of the 20th century, developed different matrices, i.e. evaluation criteria for playground programs, so that playgrounds became more appealing for children and parents alike through design elements and gentle ground modelling and terrain grading.

Commitment to indigenous peoples

When designing the UBC Anthropology Museum in the late 1970s, she and architect Arthur Erickson discussed the recognition and respectful architectural integration of First Nations traditions. Together, the two planners responded to the traditions of the indigenous peoples in Canada both in the shape of the building and in the use of plants. Cornelia Hahn Oberlander expressed the healing of the land with native plants in a gently graded landscape.

Unparalleled design talent

In recent years, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander has worked extensively in north-western Canada. She was invited by indigenous peoples there to design landscapes for schools and public buildings. Here she integrated landscape architectural interventions that respond carefully to the local climate, climate change and the people. In conversations with her, she always expressed her deep affection and gratitude for the Northwest Territories and her work there. Cornelia’s sensitive design talent, which she demonstrated time and again at all scales, her understanding of the local and the local people, are unparalleled. In addition, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander has always been regarded as a pioneer of contemporary and future-oriented planning throughout her 70-year career.

Cornelia Hahn Oberlander at the center of groundbreaking projects

Cornelia Hahn Oberlander has received all the prestigious prizes and awards that exist at local, national and global level to honor landscape architects. She has held many honorary doctorates, as well as the highest civic awards of Canada, British Columbia and most recently the rarely awarded Vancouver “Freedom of the City Award”. She has also worked with some of the most prominent architects of this and the last century. She has also been responsible for numerous ground-breaking projects including complex and pioneering technologies in green roofs, playground design, public open space design, planting design and in particular the use of native plants.

Landscape architecture as her vehicle

Apart from her impressive designs, she was also very generous with her time for students, professionals and researchers. Until recently, Cornelia shared her wisdom with our UBC students. She explained her projects on site, dropped in on studio meetings and encouraged students with her constructive critiques. Cornelia Hahn Oberlander attended most of the lectures offered at the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and presented her projects in lectures to our students. Cornelia lived and breathed landscape architecture. Landscape architecture was ultimately her vehicle to connect, inspire passion, spark conversations and also initiate political activism to protect nature and the environment and people in Canada and around the world.

Strong and inspiring personality

Cornelia fled Nazi Germany with her mother and sister two weeks after the “Reichskristallnacht”. This was an experience that was always deeply rooted in her consciousness. We talked about the events in numerous conversations. I am German-Canadian myself and therefore sensitized to the topic. I felt humble when I heard how much she kept the German culture, language and connection alive, even though her family had to flee the country. We enjoyed speaking German over and over again and also shared the humor of the German language.

Her wisdom must be passed on

Cornelia radiated positivity. She also inspired everyone she met about landscape architecture, history, the environment, but above all how people can engage with the environment. So every time I left her house, or after we had dinner together, or she attended my parties, or we sat in her garden and enjoyed the plants and gentle soil modeling of her garden (she always said, “Soil modeling is more important than planting” and I agreed), I left invigorated and inspired. Consequently, being with her, listening, observing and learning was a gift that cannot easily be put into words. Cornelia’s gift to us all is her love of landscape architecture. It is therefore our duty to pass on her wisdom to future generations of landscape architects and beyond.

Read more about Daniel Roehr and Cornelia Hahn Oberländer here at topos magazine.