This is a kindergarten we designed in 2007.
We made this kindergarten to be a circle.
It's a kind of endless circulation on top of the roof.
If you are a parent,
you know that kids love to keep making circles.
You know that our children do that all the time.
This is how the rooftop looks like.
And why did we design this?
The principal of this kindergarten said,
"No, I don't want a handrail."
I said, "It's impossible."
But he insisted: "How about having a net sticking out from the edge of the roof?
So that it can catch the children falling off?"
(Laughter)
I said, "It's impossible."
Of course, governmental official said:
"Of course you have to have a handrail."
But we could keep that idea around the trees.
There are three trees popping through.
And we were allowed to call this rope as a handrail.
But of course, rope has nothing to do with them.
They fall into the net.
And you get more,
and more,
and more.
(Laughter)
Sometimes, 40 children are around a tree.
The boy on the branch, he loves the tree.
So, he is eating the tree.
(Laughter)
And at the time of an event,
they sit on the edge.
It looks so nice from underneath.
Monkeys in the zoo.
(Laughter)
Feeding time.
(Laughter) (Applause)
OK.
And we made the roof as low as possible.
Because we wanted to see children on top of the roof,
not only underneath of the roof.
If the roof is too high, you see only the ceiling.
And leg-washing place, there are many kinds of water taps.
You see as the tubes are flexible,
they want to spray water to your friends, and shower.
And the one in front is quite normal
but you know, if you look at this
the boy is not washing his boots,
he's putting water into his boots.
(Laughter)
OK.
This kindergarten is completely open, most of the year.
And there is no boundary between inside and outside.
So, it means basically this architecture is a roof.
And also there is no boundary between classrooms.
So there is no acoustic barrier, at all.
This kindergarten is known
for not having almost any autistic child.
Actually there may be some children having problems,
but they don't show symptom.
You know, when you put many children
in a quiet box,
some of them will get really nervous.
But in this kindergarten,
there is no reason they get nervous.
Because there is no boundary.
And the Principal says:
"If the boy on the corner doesn't want to stay in the room,
we let him go.
He will come back eventually, because it's a circle, coming back."
(Laughter)
But the point is in that kind of occasion,
usually these kind of children try to hide somewhere.
But here, just they leave and come back.
It's a natural process.
And secondly, we consider noise is very important.
Right? And you know that?
Children sleep better in noise.
They don't sleep in a quiet space.
And in this kindergarten,
these children show amazing concentration in the class.
And you know that we are the kind grown up in jungle with noise.
They need noise.
And you know, you can talk to your friends in a noisy bar.
You are not supposed to be in silence.
And you know, these days
we are trying to make everything under control.
You know, it's completely open.
And you should know that
we can go skiing in minus 20 degree in winter
while in summer you go for swimming.
The sand on a beach is 50 degree.
You should know that you are waterproofed.
You never get melted in rain.
So, children are supposed to be outside.
So that is how we should treat them.
This is how they divide classrooms.
They are supposed to help teachers.
They don't.
(Laughter)
I didn't put him in.
And this is a classroom.
And a washbasin.
They talk to each other around the well.
Always there are some trees in a classroom.
A monkey trying to fish another monkey from above.
(Laughter)
Monkeys.
(Laughter)
And each classroom has, at least, one skylight.
And this is where Santa Claus comes down at the time of Christmas.
This is the annex building,
right next to the oval-shape kindergarten.
The building is only five-meter tall with seven floors.
And of course, the ceiling height is very low.
So, you have to consider safety.
So, we put our children, a daughter and a son.
They try to climb.
He hit his head.
He's OK. His skull is quite strong.
He is resilient. He's my son.
(Laughter)
And he is trying to see if it is safe to jump off.
And then we put other children.
Traffic jam is awful in Tokyo, as you know.
(Laughter)
But the driver in front, she needs to learn how to drive too.
And these days, you know,
kids need small dosage of danger, right?
And in this kind of occasion,
they learn to help each other.
This is a society and kind of opportunity we are losing these days.
Now, this drawing is showing the movement of a boy
between 9:10 and 9:30.
And the circumference of this building is 183 meters.
So it's not exactly small, at all.
And this boy made 6,000 meters in the morning.
But the surprise is not yet to come.
The children in this kindergarten make 4,000 meters in average.
And these children have highest athletic abilities.
And these children have highest athletic abilities,
amongst those in many other kindergartens.
Principal says:
"I don't train them. We leave them on top of the roof.
Just like sheep."
(Laughter)
They keep running.
(Laughter)
My point is don't control them,
don't protect them too much.
And they need to tumble sometimes.
They need to get some injury.
And that makes them learn
how to live in this world.
I think architecture is capable of changing this world,
you know, people's life.
And this is one of the attempts to change the life of children.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)