Learn/Play: Architecture for a Developing Human

At C& Partners, we feel a strong sense of responsibility when designing and constructing childcare centres. We follow provincial guidelines for the design of childcare spaces, and assist daycare owners and operators throughout the Ministry of Health process. Beyond this, we focus our design on the specific needs of children and how they differ from that of adults, in addition to the needs of their caretakers. 

Early childhood is a sensitive time in the growth and development of individuals; it is when the seeds of future success are planted. In order to foster said growth, children need age-appropriate physical environments that support and promote child-directed and child-initiated play. The environment must promote and positively support the child's interaction with space, materials and people. Teachers and caregivers also need highly functional, easy-to-use environments. When the environment supports both, and is working for children and adults, it is easier for adults to focus on facilitating each child's play and, thus, their learning.

The design and layout of the physical environment, including the building itself, as well as interior finishes, outdoor spaces, selection of equipment and room arrangement, has a profound impact on children's learning and behaviour as well as on teachers' abilities to efficiently guide them in the process. 

Additionally, we consider childcare centres to be pillars of the community, representing the place in which many children’s first social connections are made, and where guardians and educators work together to foster the growth of the next generation. As such we are interested in designing spaces that expand the ways in which childcare centres can serve their communities, such as through day program integration with specialised extra-curricular education programs, and co-location with key services beneficial to parents before and after pick-up and drop-off.

By understanding the multi-faceted issues and complexities of designing children’s learning environments, we can, together, create informed and comprehensive design solutions that are required for a contemporary, future-forward child care centre.