PBS 140 Child Care Center Design Guide - The Whole Building ...

and materials, movable panels and demountable walls, fabrics, furniture
such as seating or shelving, and display racks. The required space allotment
for this area is found in Chapter 5.
Requirements for appropriate activities occurring within this space will vary
according to the age of the children. Categories of play activities
recommended by NAEYC are as follows:
� Discovery, including sand and water play
� Large motor activity
� Art
� Music
� Socio-dramatic for make-believe and role playing
� Reading/listening
� Manipulatives with small puzzles and finger toys
� Block building
� Woodworking
� Science, including nature study
� Math
Locate the open activity area within the classroom to take full advantage of
natural light. Arrange the fixed elements along inside walls to reduce
bottlenecks and maximize the natural light in the space. The design should
encourage traffic pathways that avoid disruption and do not pass through
activity areas. Wall or partition patterns with offsets will allow for more
intimate areas for children while not obstructing teachers’ views to the activity
area. Preserve corner areas which provide natural boundaries to set apart
an activity area.
Include the following architectural features in the open activity area for
each age classroom:
� Acoustically treat surfaces as required to reduce noise.
� Supplement natural light with energy efficient, full-spectrum lighting,
capable of being dimmed.
� Avoid acute or 90 degree right angle outside corners projecting into the
space. Provide a 13 mm radius or beveled edge on all outside corners
of constructed features and a 25 mm rounded outside corner drywall
bead on walls.
� Ample counter areas at child height are needed for work surfaces and
display areas. Consider a counter at a portion of the window area for
growing plants and conducting nature studies.
PBS-140 - July 2003
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CHAPTER 7: INTERIOR SPACE DESIGN
� Allow for adequate electrical outlets (a minimmum of every four meters
along walls to particularly serve counter areas), for items such as radios,
tape players, televisions, projectors, and keyboards. Locate outlets
for this kind of equipment,at a height of 1370 mm above the finished
floor so that children cannot access the outlet or pull equipment off of
counters by using cords connected to low-mounted outlets. A height of
1370 mm provides an adult wheelchair side approach.
� Consider how the child views his or her surroundings when designing
the classroom. Spending time on the floor at a small child’s viewing
level is a helpful exercise for a designer of children’s spaces.
� Furnishings consist of child-scale tables, chairs, and open storage units.
Adult-sized comfortable seating is also needed. Bulletin boards and
other display areas should be placed at children’s height. Refer to Chapter
8 for a complete list of furniture, equipment, and applicable criteria.
Continuous strips from which to hang children’s art are strongly recommended.
These may be strips placed at approximately 1000 mm to as
high as 1370 mm above the finished floor.
� Allow for adequate storage of all curriculum materials and supplies required.
Refer to the discussion on storage in this chapter.
7.5.7 Activity Area for Infants:
The infant open activity area offers all the opportunities for discovery and
learning. This area must be a safe, soft, “print rich,” stimulating environment
in which babies can crawl, explore, and interact with their teachers.
Provide the following architectural features in the infant classroom:
� Furnish soft-surfaced level changes, either through constructed platforms
or movable forms. This should be a soft, cushioned space with a
variety of textures and coverings made from textile materials that can
be easily removed for regular cleaning. Level changes should be slight
with a maximum of 76 mm to 102 mm between levels. This should be a
soft, cushioned space with a variety of textures and coverings. Level
changes can be created using constructed platforms with ramps, or
stacked upholstered blocks in various configurations. Maximum unenclosed
platform height accessed by padded level changes is 455 mm
above the floor. Refer to the discussion in 7.6 of this chapter for further
discussion of platforms and lofts for additional information on level
changes. An enclosed raised area for infants at 915 mm above floor
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