Renfrew Station YMCA Childcare Centre

First image courtesy of BentallGreenOak.

 

While a Senior Associate at Bunting Coady Architects (later B+H), Sharon was the interior designer of this childcare centre at Broadway Tech Centre. Sharon worked closely over 5 years with the developer, operator, licensing group, contractor and project team. The space supports the needs of children and child care staff, reflecting the Reggio Emilia approach of the environment as teacher. The design follows the principle that child care centres should be efficient in function, yet residential and nurturing in feel.

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Green design features:

• Skylights and interior windows extend daylight through the space in this adaptive reuse project originally designed as a warehouse.

• Bio-based and renewable materials are used wherever possible, forgoing commonplace toxic childcare centre selections such as vinyl.

• Cork offers a durable, healthy, soft and water resistant flooring for young occupants who often spend their time close to ground level.

• Baltic birch wall protection creates a natural surround especially when compared to plastic wall surfaces.

• ​A hard wearing concrete floor negates the need for an applied floor finish in wet areas such as the entry, kitchen & art space.

• Cubbies are designed to YMCA standards, but with baltic birch again to stand up to use while lending textural warmth.

•  Wood is Forest Stewardship Council certified. 

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A key approach to the project is to keep finishes to quiet & calming earth tones, leaving visual space for children and their colourful works of art. To delight young inhabitants, the organic & changing pattern of the carpet tile invites curious exploration and looking up from the nap room floor may reveal an occasional leaf imprint in the otherwise expected ceiling.

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Developer: BentallGreenOak

Operator: YMCA of Greater Vancouver

Property Management: Quadreal

Architect: Bunting Coady Architects / B+H