This new two-story daycare center accommodates 165 children. The site is in a residential district of older single-family bungalows and large multi-family apartment buildings near the ocean. A high water table necessitated raising the first floor 1-1/2 feet above the average site elevation. The first floor has playrooms for the youngest children, staff offices, a large kitchen, and typical building functions usually located below grade. The second floor has playrooms for the older preschool children clustered on one corridor and playrooms for after-school children clustered in another. The roof is used as an outdoor play area with areas for active play and quiet play. At grade are specialized outdoor play and discovery areas including a ‘wild garden’ that incorporates indigenous plantings. The perimeter fence and corridor floors were designed by an artist under the NYC “Percent for Arts” program.

Client: NYC Department of Design & Construction.
Agency: NYC Agency for Child Development.
Program: new child care center for 165 nursery, pre-K and after-school children.
Size: 2 stories.
Team: Structural Engineering: Rosenwasser / Grossman Consulting. Mechanical: Abraham Joselow. Landscape: Signe Nielsen. Lighting: HM Brandston & Partners.
Photography: ESKW/Architects.