Little Doves Childcare
Solid concrete and steel structure contrasted with soft exciting interiors
The concept for this early childhood centre in North Auckland came from an analysis of the site and the clients wish to make the building fit into the context of its campus and the existing architectural style.
The site is part of a larger campus, all of which is extensively landscaped. We wanted to continue the theme of the landscaping whilst finding a suitable archetype that could tie together both building and landscape – our concept was therefore the ‘walled garden’.
Associated external play area and the final one a pedestrian entrance route. We then simply joined these courtyards at their corners which became the social heart of the building, with the two building ‘blocks’ overlapping at this point. From this central heart, 4 walls run out along the boundaries between the courtyards, separating the various functions and blurring the boundary between building and landscape.