A new build, early years nursery and pre-school, designed to serve the Tidworth Garrison community providing places for 55 children up to the age of 5 years.
The facility provides three classrooms and associated garden areas, which will be divided into age groups. It also includes all day childcare during weekdays from 8am to 6pm with an on-site kitchen where meals for the children will be prepared.
Staff facilities include a main office, a parent room, an accessible WC, changing facilities, a staff room, a kitchen and a utility and COSHH room.
External works include a new access road and parking facilities, external stores in brick and timber for play equipment, artificial play surfaces, canvas canopies with support posts, artificial grass mounds to the children’s external play area, a bin store area and a reinforced grass access route to the plant room.
The building comprises of a contemporary, single-storey steel structure, built upon strip foundations. Externally the building is finished via a combination of face brickwork, cladding panels, render and large glazed units. The structure contains a mono-pitched roof, formed in zinc.
Wind catchers provide natural ventilation into the central activity areas, while high level vertical windows on the line of the ridge, allow south facing light to enter the children’s activity areas and to help reduce heat through the stack effect.
Located on the south and southwest sides of the building, facing the garden areas, glazing allows daylight into the building. The flat roof covering the entrance and main circulation route extends out to form a canopy, creating an inside-outside feel for the children.
The eaves of the flat roof and panelling between the garden doors bring colour into the building, giving it a playful appearance.
