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| Newsletter Focus:
Early Childhood Education Facilities |
June 2009 |
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| The Goddard School Oxford, Michigan |
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 Scheduled for Grand Opening in September 2009, this State-of-the-Art 8,000 square foot facility will be located with easy access along M-24 (Lapeer Rd.) just north of the village of Oxford. As architect and owner, Peter Stuhlreyer of Designhaus employed the Goddard System's Michigan prototype design as the foundation for a unique building, designed specifically for its location, site, climate and context.
Pictured here at groundbreaking, Michelle Stuhlreyer will be the on site operator of the new Goddard School and worked closely with Peter on the interior design which will be cheerful, bright and colorful. Her motivation is to create spaces that enhance the loving environment, yet are functional with a focus on learning.
The safety and security measures designed into the building are a primary concern to the parents. Along with full fire suppression and exit doors from every classroom, the building is fitted with a biometric scanner for entry from the front vestibule and a series of security cameras. Architectural concerns also include student/teacher ratios, low VOC coatings and healthy lighting. 
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Kiddie Klub
7,000 square feet
Child Care and Entertainment Center
Located in Rochester Hills, MI, Kiddie Klub is the first of a franchise brand developed by Jodi Partlow. These facilities house a basic two part program: Child care and Children's Recreation. A full service snack bar anchors the recreational play area meant for pay-by-the-hour children from 6 months to 7 years.
The high quality child care and early education facility operates year round and "occupies" the recreation area with bold, but appealing bright colored masses complete with windows and awnings for an abstracted urban park-like setting. An interior climbing set and partitioned private party rooms animate the recreational side. Special attention was applied to individualizing activities for different age groups and mobility levels. A full exterior play area is accessible to both sets of customers, though strict policies govern the mixing of the full day and hour to hour children are imposed by the staff and management.
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Beth's Imagination Station
3.500 square feet
 Also in Rochester Hills, this friendly little child care center anchors a retail building among a larger complex in the suburbs. The new retail building was not anticipating a program intensive tenant such as child care, but designer Joe Latozas of Designhaus found the harmony of the space allowing proprietor Beth O'Dwyer to maximize her student population and have a fun, non-institutional interior spirit without compromise.
Contact the owner, Beth O'Dwyer at (248) 651-6975
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Case Study: Clarkston Mixed-Use 
Planned for construction in 2011, a new mixed use development called "Terrace" will include a Child Care facility. Nestled into a natural, wooded hillside, "Terrace" will consist of multiple buildings on multiple elevations as the land eventually becomes a beautiful small lake. Picking up on the idea of integration into the site, we plan to design the entire development with a gentle hand towards the undeveloped, natural surroundings.
The Child Care facility will be the use that buffers the more intense uses of retail and office from the adjoining residential subdivision. The other buildings are specifically designed for medical office, retail, restaurant and automobile filling station.
The building arrangement will be most appealing as one exits I-75 northbound onto M-15, Clarkston road. From that vantage point, this compilation of terraces, dynamic buildings and natural features will be a "gateway" into Clarkston and more importantly, "Terrace" will help set the tone for Clarkston's future.
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As always, thank you for allowing me to keep you up to date concerning Designhaus. There are some amazing things on the horizon, so stay tuned.
Regards,
Peter Stuhlreyer, AIA
Designhaus | |
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