A client with multiple childcare centres across Sydney acquired a new site that now holds their inaugural multi-storey facility. The centre is a beacon of innovation and thoughtful design, catering for 88 children.
Design response
We focused on creating synergy between context response and client-project ambition.
Our vision breathed new life into the existing structure, to optimise site yield with minimal disruption and maximise children’s engagement with natural elements.
Central to the design is a three-storey atrium that naturally cools and ventilates the space using the venturi effect.
Child-centred concept
Despite this being the client’s first foray into multiple-storey childcare centres, that didn’t mean that the design could forgo being safe and educational for children. In order to make the building safer, the design contained two white blade walls with fixed glazing, designed to protect the building and its occupants from pollutants and noise.
The design also has voids placed strategically throughout the building, which maximised sunlight exposure during the winter months. The addition of shade sails reduced any harsh rays during the summer months. The design also took steps to improve the quality of education, with the new blade walls being able to hold murals and artworks to improve visual interest.
Innovative interiors
We designed the centre to place emphasis on light, warmth, and interaction between children in the centre. As a result, the design consisted of a large communal space, receiving lots of natural light through the presence of a central, curvilinear void, and a skylight.
The design also had multiple lounge areas, with these being carefully placed throughout the centre to allow for visual connections between levels. Timber was also incorporated throughout the childcare centre design to provide a sense of warmth.
Talk to Sydney’s childcare design specialists today
Our Hurlstone Park project is a perfect example of a client providing us with a problem that they’d never come across before, and us providing a solution tailored to both their needs and their image. If you’re looking to get started on your own childcare centre design project, give our experienced team a call on (02) 8760 9300 today.
There are a number of regulations for childcare centres in build-up areas. For example, the National Construction Code (NCC) states that a childcare centre in a built-up area needs an automated sprinkler system, as well as a smoke alarm system. Another example comes from the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), which states that each child is to have at least 7 square metres of unencumbered outdoor space.
If you’re looking to build in Hurlstone Park, you’ll need to make sure that your design meets the requirements of initiatives such as the suburb’s heritage restrictions, which states that renovations or new builds need to match the existing aesthetics of a number of pre-existing Heritage Conservation Areas dotted around the suburb.
