Creators Early Childhood Centre, Hamilton
By Smith Architects
A development of house sites came up for sale in this desirable location in Hamilton, ideal for an early childhood centre.
The client purchased all four plots and worked with us and the planners to amalgamate them into two new sites. One site is for higher density housing and the other site is for an early childhood centre.
Creators Early Childhood Centre occupies the rear site, facing a beautiful grove of mature protected oak trees. The district plan rules state that no centre is to be larger than 250m², so we split the centre into two smaller blocks, one housing preschool and the other the under twos. These are joined by a glazed atrium space, giving the visual impression of two smaller centres whilst providing continuity internally.
The architectural expression of Creators Early Childhood Centre differs from most of our others, in that we have purposely adopted a residential look. Using pitched roofs and punched windows, the two blocks are kept within the urban context of the area.
We have of course adopted a playful twist, using randomly arranged windows, whilst the elevation facing the trees takes its cues from traditional Maori Wharenui (meeting houses), again referencing the cultural context.
Internally we have been able to create something very unique with this client, as they did not want a traditional classroom and circulation route. The ‘classrooms’ in Creators Early Childhood Centre are combined, so that each has 40 children, with the ability to split this space into three using large glass screens. These flexible spaces can then be used in a multitude of ways, with parts flowing straight into an art studio facing the playground and trees.
Circulation space within Creators Early Childhood Centre has been designed out completely and even the entrance hall doubles as dining or drama space. Extensive use of glass creates complete transparency throughout the centre and promotes a sharing and open approach to life that the client really wants to embody in the children.
Client: Creators Christian Childcare and KN Properties
Location: Hamilton, New Zealand
Construction cost: NZD 1 million
Area: 420m²
Programme: Completed 2016
Project Team: Phil Smith
Image Credit: Mark Scowen
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Creators Early Childhood Centre, Hamilton
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Smith Architects is an award-winning international architectural practice creating beautiful human spaces that are unique, innovative and sustainable through creativity, refinement, and care.
Phil and Tiffany Smith established the practice in 2007. We have spent more than two decades striving to understand what makes some buildings more attractive than others, in the anticipation that it can help us design better buildings.
Recent advances in neuroscience and psychology have enabled scientists to unlock some of the reasons why we find certain works of art, objects and environments more attractive than others, and at the heart of it is simple Darwinian theory: if we find something attractive we will be more likely to choose that thing over another – be it a painting, a piece of music, a landscape or even a building.
At Smith Architects, we use these learning to inform our designs, striving to create beauty in everything we do, in the belief that beautiful spaces create better environments for human beings or ‘beautiful human spaces’.
We carefully integrates architectural, landscape, interior and furniture design skills to ensure projects achieve an holistic integrity that meets our client’s needs. At the core of our design rigour, we believe that modern, sustainable, research-based design delivers a successful project with innovative solutions that work for our clients.
Our Auckland, New Plymouth, and Arrowtown offices design and deliver projects ranging from refurbishments to new-builds; from domestic scale to urban master plans; from conception to completion. Our experience covers a broad range of typologies – masterplans, mixed-use schemes, residential; offices; cultural; educational; healthcare and childcare.
We work with a diverse client base, including developers, private, government and charities and have experience of working with multiple stakeholders on challenging sites around the world.
We are a member of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), Site Safe New Zealand, and the Sustainability Business Network.
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