Located on the northwest corner of the Stanford campus near the Arboretum, this
day care facility provides services 18 hours a day for infants, toddlers, pre-schoolers, and mildly ill/recuperating children.
Interior court showing entries to classrooms
The design emphasizes the need for a home-like environment where children are guaranteed
to feel comfortable. Every effort has been made to give the building a residential character. Broken down into small modules, each playroom resembles an individual
'house' with a pitched roof.
Residential rooftop forms
Shared facilities such as a food preparation area, utility rooms, and nap areas
have flat roofs which link these individual 'houses.' An experimental get-well area was created as a child care facility prototype.
Separated from the rest of the center due to health safety concerns, this area is equipped with its own entrance and laundry facility.
Floor plan showing 'nautilus shell' form
The general layout of the Center follows the spiral shape of a nautilus shell,
emulating the growth of the child. Infant rooms are located near the entry
and lobby. As children grow older, they move away through the spiral and into
larger rooms- in a symbolic motion of increasing independence and growth. The
spiral shape follows the path of the sun, allowing all rooms sunlight exposure
during the course of the day. The facility's layout has the inherent capability
of potential future enlargement by extending the spiral, as well as the option
of enlarging the individual play rooms by extending them perpendicularly to the
spiral.
