LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/120967
playground Bernice E. Lavin Early Childhood Education Center Above The new early education center in Chicago���s Northwestern Memorial Hospital has play equipment and a multitude of open spaces for creative play and fun for the toddlers and preschool-age children of the hospital���s staff. Rubber surfacing was laid throughout the space to allow children the opportunity to safely challenge themselves. The rope climber incorporates an embankment, and the adjacent tunnel creates opportunities to explore and develop decisionmaking skills to reach higher ground. Design by Hitchcock Design Group Due to the ever-changing schedules of their staff, Northwestern Memorial Hospital broke ground in 2010 on a new early education center for employees with young children. The new facility was seen as a possible incentive for staff retention and a recruiting tool for future workers. Northwestern partnered with Bright Horizons, a leading provider of employer-sponsored childcare, early education, and work/life solutions. Due to generous donations from the Lavin family, the center now serves many of the families that provide healthcare services in the greater Chicago, Illinois area. Design As part of the design team, Chicago-based firm Hitchcock Design Group was responsible for the design development, schematics, construction documentation and construction administration for the covered play areas, streetscapes and rooftop garden of the Bernice E. Lavin Early Childhood Education Center. To meet day care center outdoor activity space requirements, the roof of the parking garage was transformed into a combination intensive and extensive 26 Landscape Architect and Specifier News green roof, which may be developed into a community garden at a later date. The finished center incorporates nature and imagination-based play with the urban bustle of Chicago as a backdrop. Natural elements, including light, water, fresh air, plants and soil are incorporated into the design of the play areas. The spaces are divided into two floors, the first devoted to infants and toddlers, the second to preschoolers. Level One ��� Toddler Time Within the infant/toddler area, children are able to play in the sand using loose parts, which are materials that can be moved, stacked, carried, taken apart or put together in different ways, allowing them to explore their creative interests. These amenities challenge the toddlers to develop their motor skills, which is crucial at a young age. The space also has a slide, a small seating area and a stage that allows teachers and care providers to gather the children together for group activities or storytelling. In keeping with the center���s overall theme of incorporating the elements, natural items like sand, (Continued on page 28)