Designing Playful, Stimulating, and Easily Navigable Environments
Instead of creating a formal reception area, the lobby is transformed into a dynamic, immersive space dedicated to movement and play.

In the West Campus kindergarten, a series of play houses of varying heights creates an unexpected spatial and three-dimensional experience. Many children in Shenzhen grow up in high-rise apartments with limited access to multi-level spatial exploration, so these playful elements allow them to experience verticality in a safe, engaging way—climbing, crawling, navigating varying heights, peeking through small windows, and gaining new perspectives with every movement.

The East Campus kindergarten features a freestanding yellow slide and a viewing hut, offering opportunities for physical activity while providing an interactive, enjoyable transition between spaces of differing elevations. These elements ensure children start and end their days in surroundings that are both playful and welcoming.

“Rather than treating lobbies as mere circulation spaces, we saw them as central arenas of interaction—places where children move, meet, and create their own narratives,” explains Hao Dong, co-founder and partner at Crossboundaries.

In the corridors leading to the classrooms, recurring organic shapes in various colors visually mark entrances, aiding spatial recognition and fostering familiarity. These subtle yet purposeful design touches help children intuitively find their way through the environment.

Within the classrooms, the emphasis was placed on creating an atmosphere of comfort and security. Traditional kindergarten classrooms often feature rigid layouts, where restrooms and storage spaces appear as separate, disconnected elements. Here, the design integrates these functions more fluidly, employing curved walls to create gentle transitions between distinct areas. These soft contours remove harsh boundaries, making the spaces feel welcoming, continuous, and comfortable—supporting a sense of belonging for children as they play and learn.

Color was carefully selected as a guiding element throughout the kindergartens, helping children naturally orient themselves. Subtle variations in hues and alternating shapes mark different areas, allowing children to recognize their surroundings intuitively without explicit signage.

The design also incorporates interactive surfaces throughout the corridors, encouraging spontaneous creativity and self-expression beyond the classroom. Children are invited to draw and write on the designated wall areas, fostering ownership and connection with their environment.

“Children experience space with all their senses. When they can leave their mark on it—whether by climbing, drawing, or playing—it becomes truly theirs,” says Binke Lenhardt, co-founder and partner at Crossboundaries.

Providing Contrast in a High-Density Urban Setting
Surrounded by high-rise residential towers, the kindergarten interiors provide an essential contrast to the dense, structured urban environment. Even within the constraints of an existing architectural framework, targeted design interventions effectively transform the space into one that genuinely supports children’s needs.

By thoughtfully reconsidering the most critical areas—those where children play, learn, and transition between activities—the design enhances daily experiences in ways that are both intuitive and meaningful. Ultimately, the kindergartens become environments where children are not merely accommodated, but actively engaged and empowered—spaces intentionally crafted for them to be seen, heard, and to meaningfully shape the world around them.