Childcare Center

Project idea

In an era marked by the relentless pace of modern life, parents often find themselves navigating a delicate balance between professional and family responsibilities. As the demands for work and daily life intensify, the need for reliable childcare solutions has become increasingly paramount. Childcare centers have emerged as indispensable pillars of support, offering a haven where children can thrive under attentive care, while parents attend to their diverse commitments.
This project aims to strengthen the parent-child bond, assist working parents, provide support for postpartum and new parents, and promote the mental, physical, and emotional development of children, as well as their social interactions.

Project description

This childcare center operates with a dual-shift system, designed to accommodate the diverse needs of families within the community. In the morning shift, children aged three months to 3 years benefit from a nurturing and flexible environment akin to a babysitting service, providing safe care while parents attend to their responsibilities. Moreover, this shift offers valuable classes for parents, aimed at enhancing their communication skills with their children and promoting self-care.
By empowering parents with knowledge and resources, the center aims to strengthen familial bonds and support families in their daily lives. Conversely, the evening shift focuses on delivering enriching experiences for children across various age groups. Through engaging and recreational activities, this shift fosters children's social, emotional, and physical development via play-based learning, creative exploration, and interactive experiences, tailored to individual developmental stages. The project emphasizes flexibility and modularity, ensuring seamless transitions between shifts and adaptable programming to cater to the dynamic needs of families. By seamlessly integrating care, education, and recreation elements, the childcare center endeavors to create a supportive and enriching environment that nurtures children's growth while empowering parents with essential skills and resources to effectively support their children's holistic development.

The childcare center was segmented into four distinct zones, ensuring a well-organized and efficient environment.

CALM ZONE
is designated for tranquility and relaxation, featuring a napping area for rest. This space will later transition into a Mental Activity Zone, focusing on cognitive development and mindfulness activities.

ACTIVITY ZONE
is tailored to energetic and interactive play. It includes board panels for creative and educational activities, and a hall for parental activities that will transform into a ball pool connected to the playground area.
SERVICE ZONE
contains all essential facilities for daily operations, including a bathroom, diaper changing room, kitchen for meal preparation, reception area for visitor management, and storage for supplies and equipment.

ADMINISTRATION ZONE
located on the second floor, houses the center's administrative functions. It includes an administrator's office, a meeting room for staff discussions and planning, and a psychologist's office to support the mental well-being of children and parents and to provide professional consultations.

This zoning layout ensures that each area of the childcare center is purposefully designed to meet the diverse needs of children, staff, and parents, fostering a balanced and nurturing environment.
Parents enter the building via a ramp and can go right to store their child's items and hand over food to the receptionist, who delivers it to the kitchen through a connected window. They can also go directly to the nap zone if their children are asleep.
To change clothes, parents head to the left side, where changing facilities are located. Once completed, they can proceed directly to the activity zone.
Bathrooms are centrally located for easy access from the main corridor near the napping zone as well as from both the napping and activity zones.
The napping zone is strategically placed to avoid direct sunlight, ensuring a calm environment, whereas the activity zone benefits from sunlight and faces the city center.

Technical information

The materials chosen for this childcare center are carefully selected to ensure noise isolation, safety, smoothness, and sustainability. Here's an overview of each material and why they are ideal for a childcare environment:

A. SAFETRADE NATURAL (Tarkett)
Roll Size: 2 x 20 m
Needed Amount: 10 rolls
Made in: UK
Main Characteristics:
R10 slip resistance for enhanced safety
Realistic stone and ceramic designs add aesthetic appeal
Reinforced surface for stain resistance
Easy to clean and maintain
Available in acoustic versions to aid in noise reduction
Reason for Selection: SAFETRADE NATURAL provides a safe, slip-resistant surface which is crucial for preventing accidents among active children. Its stain resistance and easy maintenance ensure a hygienic environment, while the acoustic properties help reduce noise levels, creating a calm atmosphere.

B. TAPIFLEX PLATINIUM 100 (Tarkett)
Roll Size: 2 x 23 m
Needed Amount: One from each
Made in: France
Main Characteristics:
Extreme resistance with a 1mm wear layer
Excellent acoustic to indentation ratio (17db/0.07mm indentation resistance)
Unique tektanium coating for durability
Contains 25% recycled content
Reason for Selection: TAPIFLEX PLATINIUM 100 is exceptionally durable and provides excellent noise reduction, which is vital in a childcare setting. Its recycled content aligns with sustainability goals, and the wear resistance ensures a long-lasting surface despite heavy foot traffic.

C. ASTERANNE CARPET (Tarkett)
Size: 5.75 m x 4.63m
Main Characteristics:
Made in the Netherlands
Quality & environmental certificate: ISO 14001
Available as wall-to-wall or individual rugs
Reason for Selection: ASTERANNE CARPET offers flexibility in use, whether as a full-room carpet or individual rugs. Its certification ensures environmental quality, making it a sustainable choice. Carpeting adds a soft, comfortable surface for children to play on and contributes to noise reduction.

D. GRANIT SAFE.T (Tarkett)
Roll Size: 2 x 25 m
Needed Amount: 1 roll
Made in: Sweden
Main Characteristics:
R10 non-slip grip
Waterproof laying
Easy to clean and maintain
Ideal for high-traffic areas
Reason for Selection: GRANIT SAFE.T is perfect for high-traffic areas due to its slip resistance and durability. Its waterproof feature is beneficial for maintaining a clean and dry environment, essential for children's safety.

E. RESIDENTIAL VINYL ICON 240 (Tarkett)
Roll Size: 4 x 25 m
Needed Amount: Roll and a half
Made in: Germany
Main Characteristics:
2.4 mm thick with a 0.35 mm abrasion layer
16 dB noise reduction
Resists wear, scratches, and stains
15-year warranty
Reason for Selection: The ICON 240 vinyl offers significant noise reduction and durability, making it ideal for busy childcare environments. Its resistance to wear and stains ensures it can withstand the rigors of daily use while remaining easy to maintain.

F. EOS NATURALS ACOUSTIC WALLPAPER (Texdecor)
SKU: eosn92620129
Color: 1105
Needed Amount: 1350 m
Reason for Selection: EOS NATURALS acoustic wallpaper provides excellent sound absorption, contributing to a quieter and more peaceful environment. Its aesthetic appeal also enhances the visual comfort of the space.

G. POPLAR PLYWOOD (Chanta Wood)
Thickness: 2.7~30mm
Needed Amount: 40 m
Surface Treatment: Polished/Non-polished
Density: 620-750 kg/m³
Moisture Content: 8%~14%
Reason for Selection: Poplar plywood is a versatile and sustainable material suitable for various applications in the childcare center, from furniture to fixtures. Its customizable size and polished finish provide both functionality and aesthetic appeal.

H. PLEXWOOD (Plexwood)
Type: Panel two sides
Made in: UK
Needed Amount: 120 m
Reason for Selection: Plexwood panels are an excellent choice for their durability and aesthetic quality. These panels can be used for partitions, wall cladding, or furniture, providing a smooth and attractive finish while supporting sustainability.

Overall Benefits:
Noise Isolation: Acoustic materials like TAPIFLEX PLATINIUM 100, EOS NATURALS ACOUSTIC WALLPAPER, and RESIDENTIAL VINYL ICON 240 ensure a quieter environment conducive to learning and relaxation.
Safety: Non-slip surfaces like SAFETRADE NATURAL and GRANIT SAFE.T prevent accidents, crucial for the safety of young children.
Smoothness and Comfort: Soft and smooth finishes provided by ASTERANNE CARPET and PLEXWOOD contribute to a comfortable and welcoming environment.
Sustainability: Materials such as TAPIFLEX PLATINIUM 100 with recycled content and ISO 14001 certified ASTERANNE CARPET demonstrate a commitment to environmental responsibility.