Jordan Child Development Center
Location Salisbury, MD
Client Wor-Wic Community College
Size 7,000 SF
Costs $1,870,000
Date of Completion 2006
Services #Architecture #Construction Services #Structural Engineering
GMB worked with Wor-Wic to convert and expand the existing single-story campus maintenance building to a state-of-the-art child development center, now named the Jordan Center. GMB provided full design services including design conception, design development, construction documents, bidding assistance, and finally, construction administration.
The new facility includes two (2) working classrooms, two (2) daycare classrooms for children ages 2-3 and 4-5, a full kitchen, sick room, offices, adult toilets and a public lobby. The two (2) working classrooms provide a class and laboratory setting for students of the college’s early childhood development curriculum. The completed building utilizes color palette, materials, and architectural detailing of the other buildings on campus including brick, pre-cast concrete, and a mill finish aluminum standing seam roof. The site design includes a fenced playground, landscaping, and vehicle drop-off.
GMB faced special design challenges with the project. We were charged with designing an age appropriate space to serve a toddler/preschool group. In addition, the design required a friendly, engaging and colorful environment which encourages learning, discovery and structured/non-structured play. With involvement and input from the college’s early child development program, GMB produced a design to address these needs. It included a child’s eye scale for toilets, sinks, countertops and low window sills allow visual accessibility to the outside. Also, we utilized primary colors in paint, plastic laminate counters and cabinetry, and floor materials. Finally, controlled access and large open classrooms for continuous visual monitoring assured that the new facility was a secure and safe environment.
Turning a non-descript existing maintenance building into a center for creative discovery and learning for toddlers and pre-schoolers was a challenge. However, GMB met that challenge with the design of a quality child care center, meeting the goals and needs of not only the Wor-Wic students and staff, but also the children attending the daycare.
