Kinderzimmer
Nursery roll-out

‘Kinderzimmer’ means ‘childrens’ room’, or the place where children are put first.

Based around this principle, we’re providing a range of architectural and design services to help this established German nursery group enter and scale within the UK market.

A colorful children's playroom with a round wooden table, chairs, and toys. There are yellow doors and black and wood shelves, with a cozy area for play and reading.

XXXXXX

Defining the brand DNA

We ran workshops to discover the essence of Kinderzimmer's existing brand, before developing a refreshed identity adapted for the UK market - an evolution that builds on their brand DNA. The design strategy encompassed interior design and layouts, wayfinding, furniture, and joinery - all to the clients educational ethos and operational preferences - principles that will underpin every new nursery in the group.

Interior view of a bright, modern room with a yellow doorway, wooden shelving unit, playing area with small table and chairs, and a skylight ceiling letting in natural light.
Cartoon giraffe with orange body, yellow spots, and a long neck, facing right.
A digital illustration of a baby playroom with a large indoor tree, a green dinosaur toy, a wall with a mural of an orange character hanging, and a window with double doors.
Collection of various sample materials, including wood, fabric, and paper in shades of white, yellow, and orange, arranged on a light surface.

Child-centric design

Our designs were centered around Kinderzimmer’s ethos of putting children first. From bespoke joinery - such as example stepped carpeted stages help babies’ learn to walk, to the child-sized self-serve restaurant. Even the interior wayfinding uses characterful mascots and colour coding of room doors, alongside bespoke signage as part of a child-led experience.

XXXXXX

Cartoon pink elephant with large dark pink ears and small closed eyes, facing right, with a curly trunk and light blue toenails.
Children sitting at a white breakfast table with fruit and plates, inside a modern room with green tiled walls and a large mirror with neon sign that says 'Dukes Kitchen'

Refining the graphic identity

Our design scope extended to refreshing the group’s graphic identity. In a similar process to the interior design, we took existing colour palettes, brand mascots and found ways to simplify, reduce, and improve legibility, while retaining the diversity and playful character of the original brand.

Interior of a building hallway with a sign pointing to restrooms, garden, Duke's Kitchen, and a graphic of a flamingo on a glass door.

Hands on roll-out support

Our architecture team supports each new site; from initial feasibility studies to establish the business case for acquisition, right through to obtaining planning permissions and construction stage support. We’re retrofitting many different building types, always seeking to retain and celebrate the special features to give each nursery setting a unique character tied to its local neighbourhood.

A woman and a young girl sitting inside a red, semi-circular reading nook, reading a book together. Several children are in the foreground, facing towards the reading nook.
A young child with blonde hair sits on a small wooden bench at a white table, playing with toys in a room with yellow and white furniture and colorful decorations.
View of a children's bookstore or library with books on a display, a potted plant, a colorful abstract wall art, and a section of a door or partition decorated with blue wavy and dotted patterns.
A three-sided A-frame red chalkboard with two circular windows and a rectangular door on the front, with a small wooden threshold at the base.
Bright yellow room with large window, white fireplace mantel with decorative mirror, pumpkins, and small figurines, rainbow-colored arches on shelf, and modern geometric wooden table with light fixture.
A young boy in a red shirt and gray pants kneels on a carpeted floor, playing with wooden building blocks and a rolling toy. He faces a large wooden shelving unit filled with various wooden blocks and toys. To the left, a white potted plant is partia
A woman with long blonde hair and glasses reading a book to a young girl with curly hair sitting in a red enclosed seating area, while other children watch from the foreground.
A young child with blonde hair sitting on a small wooden stool at a table, reaching out towards some toys, in a brightly lit playroom with a yellow bookshelf, colorful books, and artwork on the walls.
A young boy and a woman are sitting at a small table in a colorful room, smiling and playing. The boy has blonde hair and is wearing a light blue shirt, while the woman has long hair and is wearing a red jacket. The background features yellow bookshe
Children sitting at a dining table in a modern kitchen with dark green tiled walls, eating breakfast, with a sign reading 'Dukey Kitchen' above the doorway.
Bright, modern children’s playroom with large bay windows, yellow and white shelves, stuffed toys, art supplies, and a round table with wooden stools.
Interior of a children's playroom or classroom with yellow storage units, books, wooden toys, round tables, a rainbow arch toy, and a colorful elephant artwork on the wall.
Bright children's playroom with large windows, a round wooden table with stools, a green bookshelf, plants, and colorful decorations.
A modern indoor playroom with wooden furniture, a black and gray circular rug, wooden toy vehicles, a potted plant, a wooden shelving unit with wooden building blocks, a red built-in bench, a large window on the ceiling letting in natural light, and
A cozy children's playroom with wooden furniture, a skylight window, a plant in a white pot, a gray circular rug, wooden toy vehicles, and a wall with built-in storage }
A kitchen with two wooden shelves holding colorful bottles, glassware, and jars, and a tiled wall with a sink in front.
Wall of storage cubbies and shelves in a room with children's books, toys, and clothing, with wooden cabinets, framed colorful art, and a plant in a fireplace
A bright yellow and wooden shelving unit in a room with a white fireplace and a green potted plant. Two colorful framed posters of animals hang above the fireplace, and children's books and toys are on the shelves.
A brightly colored children's room with built-in yellow shelves filled with toys, stuffed animals, and storage bins. A decorative white mantel with a mirror above and a small plant sits in the center, with a white ceiling light hanging overhead.
A wall-mounted sign with directions to restrooms, garden, Duke's Kitchen, and family area, along with color-coded icons for each. The background features a glass door decorated with pink flamingo stickers.
Modern kitchen with a dining area, black tiled wall, large windows, and a neon sign that says 'Daddy Kitchen' above an opening to another room.
View through a decorative glass panel into a children's bookshelf area with books and framed pictures on the wall.

Brand evolution

XXXXXX

Before

Colorful children's playroom with wall mural of aquatic animals, a small play stage with wooden poles, toys, a play car, a table set for tea, and sunlight streaming through the window.
Colorful children's playroom with toys, seating, and wall decorations.
A vertical black ruler with white markings and numbers from 0 to 14, with a second, slightly smaller ruler beneath it, also black with white markings.

After

Bright classroom with large window, yellow and white walls, and wooden furniture. Toys and artwork are on shelves and a bulletin board. A white round table with three small stools is in the center, surrounded by scattered toys and decor.
Kids' playroom with wooden toys on a circular rug, built-in shelves with wooden blocks, a large window in the ceiling, a red built-in seating area, and a green potted plant.

< Back to projects

XXXXXX

A dark clock face showing the time as 1:00.

This project is ongoing.
Sign up for updates.