Potter + Holmes have created the first Children's Centre for Islington, a joint reception for the Early Years Centre and Sure Start that is situated on the ground floor of a 1960's medium rise social housing block.
Our design includes:
New canopied entrance creating a greater presence on the street
Integration of all the services at a community level
Accommodation for community care workers, management board training and creche facilities
Innovative internal curvy route retaining the original openings
'Window seat nooks' for occasional quiet reading
Reduced ceiling heights to further modify the level of intimacy
Use of colour to encourage inquisitiveness in children
We designed a new garden that integrates an additional strip of adjoining land and includes:
Twisty secret paths to the wilder and more challenging part of the garden
A new mound that is accessed via 'giant' railway sleeper steps; enjoyed from a meandering path suitable for wheelchairs; viewed from a cutting through on the level and descended by slide over the grassy banks
For children with disabilities, the addition of raised beds for wheelchair bound and carefully selected scented planting for the visually impaired
Mature planting retained to create shady glades and new planting areas
