The architect
You will need an architect regardless of whether you are remodelling or renovating an existing site or building a brand new building. When you do not need or cannot afford a project manager, the architect may play both roles. Have the architect on board (and part of the building committee) in the early stages. This will help to build a positive relationship between the architect and your building committee from the outset. It will also help the architect to understand which design approach will best meet the values, philosophy and curriculum of the child care program. Wherever possible, it is important to hire an architect with experience in child care centre design. Alternatively, B2C2 can help provide you with specialist architects who may advise your local architect.
Role of the architect
The architect can play various roles in the design and development of the project. S/he can help to:
- determine whether the site you have chosen can meet the overall project goals (feasibility)
- create the program that sets out priorities and possible phasing of the project (functional plan)
- help you secure other design and construction professionals
- produce general design and sketches that reflect your building committee's objectives in the space
- conduct design charrette exercises to ensure that your objectives will be achieved in the space available and
- provide a preliminary costing (schematic design)
The Design Charrette Exercise
When the architect begins design drawings, it is useful to undertake a charrette exercise, where the architect provides the building committee with a footprint of the proposed space and cut out shapes of the rooms and/or spaces you want to create within the footprint. For example: a nap room, quiet area, washrooms, storage, staff room etc for each age grouping. These shapes should be to scale and reflect licensing and/or design guidelines. The committee arranges the cut outs to reflect how they want the spaces to relate to each other. For example, cubbies may be located next to washrooms and positioned close to the entrance of the room or closest to the playground exit.
Two or three different designs may then emerge providing the group with an opportunity to discuss what they like best in each of the designs. The architect can then take away the groups recommendations and build them into the schematic drawings. This should also be done with the landscape architect (if you have one) to determine how best to create the outdoor environment and its relationships to the indoors.
What to look for in an architect
All architects must be registered with the professional association in their province. This association also sets standard fees for certain architectural activities that will provide you with a guide on costs. Next to technical skills, experience designing child care is an asset. An understanding of how physical environments support a child's growth and development will help the architect to create a three dimensional space that supports such growth and development
Other important skills to look for in your architect are interpersonal skills and/or approach to working with a group. Understanding what is important to your group will help you find the right match between you and the architect.
You can use a number of ways to find an architect:
- The most formal is to put out a bid for the design work. The scope of the work and program descriptions must be clearly articulated in order for an architect to respond. If you have a project manager, s/he can help prepare this document.
- A less formal process may be to check with other child care centres, resource centres or child care associations who may know of and be willing to refer an architect
- Once you have a list of architects, request information on their firm, arrange interviews and check references. At the interview stage you can ask them to come and make a presentation of their work, discuss why they are interested in the project, and what they offer to you as a group. Some questions to consider are:
- How do you work with a team?
- Have you designed other child care programs? If so, what were some of the successes and challenges of these designs?
- What do you value in design?
- Do you have experience leading design charrettes?
- What do you know about the impact of the physical environment on young children?
- How do you deal with competing interests among project committee members?
- What is your experience getting organizations to use the design to fundraise?
Considerations
Cost considerations are critical when choosing an architect. If you are not clear about what your expectations are in soliciting quotes from architects you may find it difficult to do a cost comparison. The more you can clearly describe your project, including location, site, size, program, etc, the better able your architect will be to accurately estimate costs. If you are unable to do this first step on your own, you can seek a quote from various architects to write this type of description, known as the "functional program." Once this is complete you can then seek a second quotation for the detailed architectural design and other functions you may wish the architect to perform.
Services and costs can range from participating in developing the functional program document, feasibility studies, detail designed drawings, preparation of tender documents to a simple conceptual design drawing. If you have a project manager, it is her/his role to ensure that you have adequate information to make a good assessment of the services you will be buying
Resources
Some general information on how to select an architect can be found at the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
Two US sites specific to child care architecture can be found at:
- Building Child Care: http://www.buildingchildcare.org/architects_questions.htm
- Spaces for Children resources: http://www.spacesforchildren.com/architec.html