Gøtugjógv, Faroe Islands
2020 - 2023
Gjái Kindergarten
Surrounded by the dramatic landscape of Gøtugjógv, Gjái Kindergarten in the Faroe Islands is shaped by its environment, using natural materials and a thoughtful design to support play, exploration, and education.
Project details
Tucked into a hillside in the small village of Gøtugjógv, Gjái Kindergarten serves families from across Eystur Municipality in a 1,320 m2 kindergarten accommodating approximately 100 children aged 0-6 years. Shaped by the contours of the surrounding terrain, the two-story structure appears to emerge from the hillside, with both levels – daycare on the upper floor and kindergarten on the lower – facing out toward the sea to take full advantage of the views and natural light.
The building is organized into four main areas: a central hall, nursery, kindergarten, and staff facilities. A defining feature of both levels is the portico, supported by a row of square, diagonally set wooden pillars, which provides a sheltered transition between indoor and outdoor areas. Inside, a wide, child-friendly staircase connects the two floors, doubling up as a spot to sit and play.
Integrated with the landscape
The design works with the landscape’s natural features – creating a close connection between the structure and the land. A green roof reinforces the building’s relationship with its environment, supporting biodiversity, improving insulation, and visually anchoring the structure in its setting. Integrated skylights promote both daylight and natural ventilation across interior spaces.
The two levels of the building are offset, allowing light to reach deeper areas through roof openings where needed. Above the nursery, two recessed “gorges” bring elements of the surrounding woodlands into the building, offering quiet and naturally sheltered outdoor zones where children can rest under tree cover away from play zones. Almost all façades are bordered by covered outdoor areas, which act as transitional spaces between the indoors and out. These zones support flexible, weather-protected outdoor activities and feature flat roof overhangs that protect from direct sunlight and rain.
“We have attempted to create a building and yard as a natural entity that is rooted precisely in this location and could not have been created under other circumstances.”
Ósbjørn Jacobsen
Design Director, Faroe Islands
01/05
Designed for curiosity
Gjái Kindergarten is shaped by an Italian educational philosophy, Reggio Emilia. The design is shaped around the philosophy’s six foundational pillars: social skills, body and movement, cultural expressions and values, language, nature and natural phenomena, and the child’s personal, multifaceted development. These principles guided our design process, informing how spaces – both indoor and outdoor – could support learning through interaction, exploration, and creativity.
Outdoor areas were designed to encourage creative play in nature, featuring playhouses, slides, swings, and varied recreational zones. The surrounding terrain, including a steep hillside, a river, and adjacent woodland. For safety, particularly near the river, the approach emphasizes education over barriers – teaching children to respect and understand the power of nature rather than simply restricting access.
The woodland above the building is treated as a “borrowed landscape,” with additional planting to blend the forest edge into the daycare grounds. These spaces offer children interactive areas where they can play safely and freely, with direct engagement with the environment. Covered outdoor spaces connected to each room provide sheltered environments that extend learning and play areas, ensuring year-round use regardless of weather.
Materiality in context
Inspired by local woodland growth, timber has played a central role from concept to construction. Siberian larch is used in the above-grade structure, selected for its durability and ability to weather naturally in the Faroese climate. The building’s portico is defined by solid wood pillars that extend beyond the roofline to support a child-safe railing enclosing the roof garden. Facing the sea, the primary façade features triple-glazed timber-framed windows. These full-height openings, protected by an overhanging roof, allow natural light into the building and provide even the smallest children with views outdoors.
Inside, light-colored pine has been used for wall surfaces and furniture, providing a warm, inviting interior. Ash wood adds strength and flexibility for indoor furniture, while cross-laminated timber beams are left exposed in many play and learning areas to create a tactile, natural atmosphere. Acoustic comfort is addressed through sound-absorbing ceiling panels integrated into wooden slatted ceilings.
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