Good Shepherd Child Development Center provides more than 90 infants, toddlers, and pre-school children a “comfy” space that for most children, is their first experience away from home. The program for Good Shepherd primarily serves the needs of children from low-income families, but is intended to appeal to a diverse community and attract families from a variety of backgrounds.
The program fully satisfies early-childhood requirements – nine classrooms, a multipurpose room, kitchen, administrative and storage spaces, as well as areas and resources for the parents and community.
The 11,000-sf building sits on a 1.5-acre site in a residential neighborhood adjacent to an elementary school and is scaled to the street and neighborhood. The strong gable forms are characteristic of the neighborhood and are scaled to the children. All classrooms have abundant natural light and individual access to age-specific outdoor play areas situated on the sunny side of the building, into the side of a hill, and adjacent to a wooded area.
The center was designed to be simple and inexpensive to operate, since there will be no major income source post-construction. The building follows the arc of the sun for optimal daylighting. The efficient plan minimizes corridors, and all classrooms open to the central multipurpose room. Mechanical systems are efficient and straightforward to operate and maintain. The Center is LEED Silver qualified.
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