Services
QED were employed to design the MEP services for this groundbreaking Pre-primary school that was partly constructed utilising shipping containers as well as an isulated Yurt with underfloor heating.
The bright and colourful Fawood Children’s Centre in north-west London is a groundbreaking design venture for the education of young children, and reflects current thinking about how environments can affect learning. The Children’s Centre initiative is based on the concept that providing integrated services for children and families that are locally based and easily accessible will result in long term benefits for all.
Integrated services, imaginative spaces
The Centre houses a state-of-the-art nursery combined with office space and training facilities to offer early education integrated with day care, family support and outreach to parents including child and family health services, and access to training and career opportunities.
The imaginative use of open spaces, with an emphasis on natural light and visual harmony, creates a child-friendly environment – a colourful “playbox” for dreaming and learning. The project design team faced the challenge of creating a space not only to meet the needs of the children inside, but to also provide an enduring bright spot for the surrounding community. The local area was undergoing large-scale regeneration and the council wanted a focus for the community which would be visually exciting. Fundamental to the design was a desire to provide an environment that supports choice for children, includes space to socialise, builds confidence and enables independent learning. In keeping with this ethos, the Centre was built using recycled sea containers, which are linked by wooden decking and warmed by under floor heating.
Safety concerns
The local community and parents view the Centre as safe and secure, a main concern for those parents involved in the initial planning process. Ines Djeridi, who has a four-year-old daughter at the Centre says, “It’s a very child-friendly building and the security is great. It’s like a theme park and gives the children plenty of opportunity to get lots of exercise.”
The innovative use of mesh walls to cover and protect the open air play areas creates a colourful social space for development and a decorative focal point for the community. As another parent explains, “When I first saw it I thought it was a bit unusual, but since my son has been coming here I see how practical the design is. The children are out in the fresh air without actually being outside.”
