Gertler & Wente worked with a major medical center (name not able to be disclosed) and Bright Horizons to design an early childhood center for the medical center’s employee’s families. The childcare center offers space for children 3 months to 6 years old.
Security and privacy was of utmost importance as the facility is located on the ground floor of an office building in midtown Manhattan.
Because the site is not near a park or outdoor play area, the center features a “movement zone” with rock-climbing wall, slide, tricycle and gym area. A central column forms the trunk of a tree and the ceiling has been illuminated to give the impression of open sky. Animal murals adorn a curved corridor wall with a large freshwater aquarium placed child height.
Infant and toddler rooms feature shared child-size restrooms with low walls, rounded viewing windows and an open plan to facilitate visibility. Older toddler and pre-K rooms include a shared project space and a dedicated STEM lab for exploration of the natural world.
This licensed day care center is fully compliant with NYC Article 47 Department of Health regulations and has capacity for 181 children. We worked with Studio MLA on the project.
Photography by Ximena Blanco, AIA