Page 13 - School Planning & Management, December 2017

EDUCATION DESIGN SHOWCASE • EARLY CHILDHOOD
HONORABLE MENTION
NOVI EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER NOVI COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
NOVI, MI
MEETING THE NEEDS
of children age three to
five in an invigorating environment; the new
Early Chilldhood Education Center (ECEC) is the result of interactive visioning with the community and district. Designers provided an inti- mate, smaller school setting that fosters collaboration. The team attended a na- tional early childhood con- ference to learn more about how facilities can positively impact social and academic development. The 39,000- square-foot school includes 18 classrooms, a cafeteria, a multi-purpose room,
and offices for Community Education and Enrollment Services. Also included is a dedicated space for children with special needs, a secure welcome center, and an adventure playground.
The innovative design includes porch entries that offer home-like first impres- sions as children arrive, allowing parents to walk children directly into school and interact with teachers. Learning studios offer open and stimulating environ- ments that are accented with color and natural light. Keeping young learners in mind, designers utilized all available surfaces. The floors are used as often as the tables. Three collaboration areas within the main cir- culation spine denote class neighborhoods, a gross mo- tor development center, and the dining commons. Display walls in these areas feature student work and announce- ments. The students and their work take center stage in this facility.
ARCHITECT
TMP Architecture, Inc.
JOHN J. CASTELLANA, FAIA, REFP 248/338-4561
PROJECT INFORMATION
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR
Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent
COMPLETION DATE
August 2016
GROSS AREA
39,070 sq. ft.
AREA PER STUDENT
112 sq. ft.
SITE SIZE
6.25 acres
CURRENT ENROLLMENT
n/a
CAPACITY
350 students
COST PER STUDENT
$28,572
COST PER SQ. FT.
$305
TOTAL COST
$10,000,000
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Good use of color for way- finding and identifying spaces. Use of fobs for parents’ entrance is a well-thought-out idea. Transparency of the interior is a nice touch.
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