After their former building was destroyed by fire in 2014, the Peace River Child Care Association assessed their needs and decided the new facility should be doubled in size. Beairsto & Associates Engineering Ltd. (BASE) was contracted to design a building that would meet the new standards in child care, while still remaining cost-effective for the not-for-profit group.
The preliminary design included re-using the existing concrete block walls that had survived the fire. Upon further examination, it was determined they were not structurally sound and needed to be replaced. However, the existing foundation walls and footings were still in acceptable condition, and were utilized. The new building is a single story wood frame structure, with asphalt shingles and stucco finish. BASE teamed up with Heather L. Johnston of PLACE Architect for the architectural support on this project. The building was completed in the fall of 2016.
Some of the project highlights include:
- 13,500 ft2 (1,254 m2) facility with nine child care rooms to accommodate children age 13 months and up to out-of-school care
- Large windows with built-in window seats
- Wide corridors with alcoves accommodating the children’s cubby storage
- Interior windows from the main corridor into each child care room for ease of supervision
- Multi-purpose room for large motor skill activities
- Structural design utilized existing concrete foundation
- Unique roof design allows for roof top mechanical units to be located within a recessed flat portion of the roof, while remaining hidden from view by the visible sloping roof.
- Lighting design engineered to be economical while still providing varied light levels in child care rooms