625 SW 100th St.
Seattle, WA USA
2007-2009
Greenbridge Early Learning Center, Puget Sound Educational Service District
The Early Learning Center supports Head Start and Educare programs for 125 children, including infants through pre-schoolers. Operated by the Puget Sound Educational Service District, the project has broad support from public agencies and private foundations committed to improving the lives and futures of children in the community. The Center is located in the new Greenbridge community developed by the King County Housing Authority in White Center.
The outdoor play areas, organized for ages 0-3(waddlers) and 2-5(toddlers), form an extension of the building learning spaces. For the waddlers, a water spout is wrapped by a series of learning spaces, including a mosaic seating circle, sand box, fort, climber and grassy hill. All are situated at base of the large oak tree, serving as sentinel on the site. For the toddlers, the narrow site required that the outdoor program be organized as a series of events along a curvilinear ‘stream’ circulation spine. The raised garden beds and orchard is followed by rain stone, the sand box, the grassy meadow, the climber, the water spout the fort and slide and the birch grove.