Education Early Childhood
Our Mission is to design the future today by serving our clients with excellence by providing expertise at all times by providing leadership when needed by an interactive design process by thoughtful and prudent design decisions by accurate communication processes
Fanning Howey has vast experience in the design of early childhood learning centers. Our experience has shown that facilities for young children are decidedly different than other buildings. Playgrounds Playgrounds are an additional area that need special consideration. With the incorporation of the Americans with Disability Act, it is not unusual for us to provide separate playgrounds.
Flexibility Flexibility is also a key issue that should be addressed. Flexibility means not only movable walls for day-to-day use, but long-range flexibility within the structure. New spaces can be added easily or existing spaces rearranged with the least possible disruption in day-to-day activities.
Scale And Furnishings Special attention must be given to the size and scale of the building and to the interior finishes to make the building compatible with young children.
Customized Solutions It is essential that the architect work closely with the staff to determine their needs and desires. For example, the storage of coats and boots for the children...would they like it in the room, in the corner, or outside the classroom room in a corridor? Also, the issue of rest rooms is a factor; it is not unusual to have rest rooms provided in the classroom. If rest rooms are provided outside the classroom, they must be in close proximity for easy access by the children and control by the teachers. Throughout the planning process, it is our desire to work very closely with the staff and administration to ensure that we are, in fact, providing for their needs. The most successful building projects are the ones that have good input from all users - the children, staff, and administration of the building being designed.
For nearly 50 years, Fanning Howey has focused almost exclusively on the planning and design of primary and secondary schools. This commitment has allowed our firm to grow into one of the nation's leaders in school planning and design.
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