How good can an early childhood education centre be? In Mairangi Bay on Auckland’s North Shore, Kākāpō Creek Children’s Garden has used design to reinvent the answer, winning a prestigious Best Design Award this year from the Designers’ Institute.
Kākāpō Creek is a privately owned centre for 100 children, whichthey like to say is founded on the concept of Ngā Hau E Whā: the meeting place of the four winds, or people from all backgrounds. In a bush setting in the middle of the suburb, Smith Architects have created a circular space where “classrooms” surround a central play and meeting area, with another extended adventure play space at one end.
Everywhere you look there are places for kids to crawl and climb and make their play special. The spaces are divided from each other by glass, not solid walls, so everyone feels connected to the hum of the place and to the trees and bushes all around. Inside, there are house-type structures designed to allow children to create their own spaces, while outside, under the walkway, there are hobbit houses complete with round doors and a tunnel, offering further chances for adventure. A climbing wall and slide connect the different levels.
The outside play area at Kākāpō Creek Children's Garden.
The creek that defines one edge of the site is prone to flooding, so the building is raised above the ground. Native grasses are planted on the circular roof, reducing the rainwater runoff by 50 per cent.
Rain chains fall from the gutters to lead the rest of the water into pots on the deck and from there it flows through a filtration system of rock and gravel. “It returns to the stream like it would have done naturally,” says architect Phil Smith, “but we’ve cleaned it. The green roof also cleans the water and removes heavy metals and impurities.”
The lighting and ventilation are mostly natural, the interiors are timber throughout and the climbing and play equipment is also mainly unpainted timber. All of it enhances the sense of being part of the natural environment.
Classroom interior, Kākāpō Creek Children's Garden.
The emphasis on natural wood also has a psychological value. “Loads of colour can provide too much stimulation,” says Smith. There is evidence that it makes it more challenging for children with learning difficulties to cope and concentrate.”
Smith Architects are experts in childcare centre design, having done many others in Auckland and elsewhere. With Kākāpō Creek, they’ve created a building for children to be happy in. That’s not a bad idea for other buildings, too. Doesn’t everyone deserve a built environment that makes them happy?
