The three settings examined here highlight the importance of gaining input from managers, staff, children and families to create environments that are inspiring, cost-effective and sustainable.
GREENFIELDS CHILDREN'S CENTRE - BY GAYLE GOSHORN
June McHugh, head of Greenfields Children's Centre in Southall, London, knows that the design of her new £3m centre, which opened last October, is unique, because it was shaped by the children themselves, their parents and the centre staff.
'We had an architect, Patrick Hughes, who really listened,' she says. 'When the children were consulted, they wanted water flowing all the way around inside, so through dialogue we came to the conclusion that we wanted a building that flowed, that was open, with no barriers.'
Ms McHugh says everyone involved was intuitively drawn to water as a connective element, so now a water feature is the first thing people encounter at the entrance, where they walk over 'the illusion of a bridge' into the atrium. The other focal feature is a huge Italian chandelier, which 'radiates an element of magic, wonder and aspiration'.
She says the aim is for children to enter and think, 'this is where I want to spend my day'.
The metaphorical is as important as the physical, one feels, throughout the design of Greenfields. Besides water, the unifying element is light, not just from the chandelier but from nature.
'It's flooded with light, and that gives a sense of openness to the outdoors, and links the indoors and outdoors,' says Ms McHugh. 'It connects us to the wider environment, beyond the confines of the building.'
Windows are thought of as 'viewing panels', installed at different heights for children and for adults. The environmentally friendly building is all on a single storey - 'which provides much easier flow and is more inclusive' - and the adult workspaces open off the children's spaces. The ample spaciousness everywhere is intended to encourage dialogue and empower children to be autonomous learners.
For flooring, ceramic tiles were chosen rather than vinyl. Ms McHugh says this prompted a debate about health and safety, and whether children were more likely to fall and hurt themselves, but the adults concluded that was no more likely to happen at the centre than in the children's homes. The easy-to-maintain ceramic floor tiles were deliberately kept unpatterned and in neutral colours as a blank canvas for showing off the children's work.
However, the abundant use of Indian and Middle Eastern rugs inside the centre presents children with 'complex and inspiring mathematical patterns', says Ms McHugh.
'We felt that the building should be respected and dressed appropriately inside.' The rugs also help the children to connect the centre with their home, culture and community.
For families, the centre wants to be seen as a sanctuary. The new building was partly funded by Sure Start and partly by the London Borough of Ealing, in an area that is among the UK's 20 most deprived wards. Fourteen different languages are spoken among the children at the centre, and very few of those who come into the provision at age three speak English.
For Ms McHugh, this means the new building is all about aspiration. She says, 'What inspires me is when a three-year-old without English comes in, looks up at the chandelier and says "beautiful, beautiful".'
And how have the centre's users responded to the new building? 'On the first day we opened, children made complete sense of it,' says Ms McHugh. 'It took the adults a few months to get their heads around it, but that's because they're adults.
'Now, the parents, the children and the staff are all really inspired. They love it, and they feel at home. It's a place they can be themselves.'
UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK NURSERY AND CAFE - BY KAREN FAUX
One of the first experiences the University of Warwick Nursery had after moving into its new building was to watch the swans on the nearby lake sitting on their eggs. 'We then watched the eggs hatch and saw the cygnets learn to swim and grow into beautiful swans,' says nursery manager Debbie Castle.
Designed by MJP Architects for 78 children on the university campus, the nursery succeeds in maximising the beauty of its setting, with full height windows providing views of the surrounding open landscape, its lake and wildlife.
The architects worked closely with Ms Castle to achieve her vision for a building that would offer children high-quality spaces with good natural light and ventilation, and easy, direct access to the external play areas. The bright and spacious home base areas are designed to easily sub-divide into smaller play zones. They are grouped around a shared play area, which forms a focus for the nursery.
The nursery entrance leads directly into the shared play area - a large and colourful top-lit space at the heart of the building. It serves a number of functions, including a space where parents can spend time with their children in the morning and evening, and a relaxed place to meet staff.
Ms Castle says, 'We had strong ideas about how we wanted the building to work for us and the ambience we wanted to create. We wanted a nursery building where everyone felt comfortable and at home; where parents felt welcome to come in and play with their children, or just sit and watch, and where they could meet other parents and chat.'
The centrally placed 'shared area' allows the nursery staff to work together as one; it is wide enough to accommodate the children's cloakroom and storage boxes for spare clothes and personal belongings, as well as a comfortable seating area for parents or visitors. Parents often sit and read stories to their children in this area before they go into nursery, and staff members bring small groups of children into this area for varied activities. With light flooding the rooms through skylights and glass walls, and bright, sunny colours chosen for decoration, the whole building feels bright, warm and welcoming.
Ms Castle says the new space has had a huge impact on how staff work. 'Simple things like having running water in each room, and the children's toilets being next to where they are, means that staff can encourage the children to be far more independent,' she says. 'We are also delighted with other facilities such as the comfortable staff room that is separate from the children's area, and a comfortable office where I can meet parents in private. All these features enable us to provide a much better service.'
ACORN PRE-SCHOOL
When Acorn Pre-School in Shefford, Bedfordshire needed a new building, it contacted project management and architectural design specialist PCMS. Getting the company on board at the initial stages meant that the committee's ideas could be turned into a firm plan with target dates, 3D visualisations, construction drawings and an outline budget. A new building with a footprint of 160 square metres was designed to provide enough space for 30 children, a kitchen area, toilets, meeting room and separate office.
Mel Hitchcock, manager of Acorn Pre-School, says, 'One of the benefits of using PCMS as project manager was the knowledge and experience it brought along. From providing lots of ideas, drawings and sketches at the beginning, through to applying for planning and building regulation consents, and appointing and managing the building contractors, PCMS's professional management skills were a huge help. There can be a number of pitfalls when taking on such a large project, but PCMS helped us to overcome any problems.'
The design incorporates a range of carefully crafted child-friendly features. Tall windows allow lots of natural light to flood in, but the window sills are low so that children can see outside. Low-level sinks have been built into the work units. A mix of carpet and vinyl flooring in the main room caters for messy play and provides a quiet area. There is lots of storage space - a vital requirement as any pre-school leader knows. The toilets are specially designed for small children, with low-level door handles and towel dispensers, and cheerfully decorated with an aquarium theme.
The project was finished on time and on budget. Everyone involved was delighted with the result. Ms Hitchcock says, 'I am so pleased with the new building, and the children have really benefited from the extra space. They love the new outdoor play area, which we have fitted out with a proper rubber safety surface and some play equipment for them. They also have a brilliant multi-purpose internal room with a comfortable carpeted area for quiet time, and a more practical vinyl floor at the other end for messy play.'
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Porter Consulting & Management Services - www.pcmsdesign.co.uk
- MJP Architects - www.mjparchitects.co.uk.
