Ground broken for new preschool in Fossvogur
Mayor Heiða Björg Hilmisdóttir broke ground yesterday on a new preschool located at Fossvogsblettur in Fossvogur. The preschool will house 10 preschool units spread across three wings.
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The single-story preschool building sits on the eastern part of the grounds. The site is surrounded by extensive woodlands, with easy access to nature. The U-shaped building curves westward, enclosing a sheltered and quiet outdoor area that forms the preschool's entrance courtyard.
The southern wing of the building will house the youngest children in its four units. The school's mid-level will occupy the eastern wing with three units, while the oldest children will be in the northwestern wing, which also has three units. The northern section of the building, between the mid-level and upper-level units, contains a multi-purpose hall, a library with an open common area, an art workshop, the school's kitchen, and staff facilities.
The building will receive Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification, and the preschool is expected to open its doors to children in mid-2027.
Adventure playground
When designing the preschool grounds at Fossvogsblettur, planners first looked at the unique qualities the site offers and worked hard to let users enjoy these special features. New preschool grounds rarely have as much tree cover as this site, so designers made sure children have easy access to these lush and wilder areas, which are sure to help children's free play thrive. The design focused on keeping the large and distinctive trees on the site, with the grounds planned around them. In addition, part of Svartiskógur forest lies within the property.
The grounds are arranged so the area closest to the preschool building features playground equipment and harder surfaces, similar to those typically found at preschool grounds in Iceland. Play huts, sandboxes, and swings with wooden features that blend with the surroundings sit near the building. Farther out on the grounds, the setting becomes more natural, and some areas have been left completely untouched. An outdoor classroom with a campfire area in the forest creates opportunities for adventures right on the grounds, though the site's proximity to the popular recreational area in Fossvogur offers opportunities for longer journeys.
Two smaller gardens sit on the east side of the preschool. These gardens connect to the building's workshops, allowing the spaces to be used for creative play and activities from the workshops, in addition to growing food in raised garden beds and a greenhouse.