Arena Children's Centre

by Cohen Leigh Architects

To help children feel at ease this colourful and quirky children’s centre has been designed as a home away from home for kids.

Cohen Leigh Architects have created a playful, vibrant and memorable series of home shapes spaces, to help make children feel comfortable when away from family, especially for their first time in a childcare centre. This homely theme is carried right through to the interiors.

Located in the growing suburb of Officer in South East Melbourne, this highly popular early learning centre for children, successfully addresses the demand for modern early learning spaces in a growing community, whilst still remaining colourful and being a memorable piece of urban architecture.

Inspired by the elementary, familiar forms of houses often drawn by children, architects used colourful glazed brick façades for each dwelling, which reflects that of houses drawn by children; referencing the housing shapes of a growing suburb.

Design of the internal spaces, centres around a sensory & physical progression through the early learning centre’s educational progression using colour themes, and brickwork interplay as tactile elements helping to guide children.

The facility includes two licences playrooms, maternal child and health facilities, a kitchen, staff areas and amenities.

Orientation & layouts of the internal playrooms, ensure each room has a strong connection with the outdoor areas for flexible indoor/outdoor activities, harnessing natural light, fresh air and allowing for a relationship with landscape. There is also a large outdoor play space, which provides a challenging play option which caters to the varying ages of children who will be using the space.

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