Center for Early Education is a unique educational campus combining 500 toddlers, nursery, kindergarten and elementary age children acting as a fully accredited college for teacher training on a small urban site (40,000 sq. ft.). The school uses 95% of the site area, including rooftop playgrounds. In recycling the 27-year old school site, a two-story 16,000 sq. ft. brick building was retained and remodeled, in addition to adding a three-story 25,000 sq. ft. classroom building and a 27,000 sq. ft. 88 car subterranean garage. 

 

The design recalls the imagery of a traditional red brick schoolhouse and creates a laboratory to stimulate the learning process. Small scale elements are terraced at different levels to reduce the building mass and vary color and materials to create a scale familiar to elementary aged children. A clock tower anchors the central outdoor circulation connecting four classroom levels with three playground levels.

 

The two rooftop playgrounds combine with 3 ground level play areas to create multiple recreation spaces that meet the needs of 5 different age groups. In addition to the playgrounds, the rooftops were designed as classrooms for urban geography, hydroponics, and astronomy with the use of greenhouses, windsocks, sundials, and telescopes. 
 

1989 Pacific Coast Builders Merit Award

1992 Los Angeles Business Council Award