Grays Harbor College Childcare Center

The design of the childcare center was a fast-track process tied to the funding schedule and was ready to bid within six months of notice to proceed. Four classrooms serve infant through school age children. Developed in collaboration with Grays Harbor College staff, students and parent representatives, the design balances the ideal program layout with the specific site conditions, establishing a visual connection with the main campus and buffering the children’s activity areas from vehicular traffic. All beams are recycled from a demolished campus building, natural ventilation, radiant slab heating, heat recovery system and native landscaping are among the sustainable strategies that helped the building achieve LEED Gold.