Text description provided by the architects. The Early Years and Flexible Attendance Childcare Centre is located in the heart of the Amouroux
Rebuilding the Early Years Centre required fitting the new building back into the neighbourhood's urban logic although in a modern way. This involved creating flowing spaces framed by simple volumes; occupying similar space to before, in cubic and orthogonal shapes, speaking the neighbourhood's architectural language.
The perforated metal gives the necessary unity and intimacy for the whole set of buildings whilst allowing it to be ventilated and opened up securely. Its patterns evoke a cloudy sky, reflecting a childhood theme. The building is a neutral "canvas" on which an initial touch of yellow is added (outside/inside sun, signs, niches for storage and sitting) leaving children to take over the space and make it their own. The facility's identity lies in the neighbourhood's formal vocabulary whilst providing scintillating and poetic materiality, evoking early years and repurposing at an urban level.
The project multiplies communication points between spaces and makes it easier for it to be used by children, parents and staff. The premises stand out in two types of programmes: the servant spaces (grouping together service premises, napping rooms, etc.) where the layout marks out open spaces that are activity rooms for the children.The atrium, a sort of inner road running through the heart of the project, connects all the hubs and provides a space that can be used by the smallest children beyond its distribution function.
The indoor organisation system revolves around the space being occupied and façades by alternating opaque volumes for the servant spaces and large glass surfaces for activity spaces.
