Hawkens Early Childhood Center
Location: Lyndhurst, OH
The Project
The Hawken Early Childhood Center is part of the Hawken School. The Early Childhood Center serves children in Preschool, Prekindergarten and Kindergarten. The Hawken Early Childhood Center provides a Reggio Emilia- (pedagogy that focuses upon experimental, self-directed and collaborative learning) inspired educational environment that supports their nationally recognized childhood programming. Together, our firm, in collaboration with Creative Environments Design Collaborative, designed and renovated the school’s interior to focus on developing spaces to accommodate Hawken’s unique curriculum; they believe that design and aesthetic can significantly impact a child’s development.
Incorporating their Unique Curriculum
In order to incorporate Hawken’s unique curriculum, we developed new spaces that enhanced the program’s by inspiring exploration, supporting a range of social learning experiences, and encouraging the development of motor skills. We completed the renovation in two phases.
Phase I of Hawken’s new Early Childhood Center was completed in August 2011 and includes a shared community space with kitchen area, additional prekindergarten classrooms, renovated classrooms, and upgraded office, conference and faculty spaces, and a new Learning Enhancement Center.
Phase II was completed in August 2012. This phase includes a new facade that continues the Georgian architecture of the existing Lyndhurst campus, a new Lower School entrance, and interior classroom renovations that allow a harmony to form between the buildings of the campus.