Beginning education early

According to the Center for American Progress, nearly one in four American children under the age of five years participates in some form of organized child care such as daycare centers. Corporate child care is a significant business industry and growing rapidly with companies that seek to address a significant issue in an employee’s work-life balancing act. Statistics show that employers who offer this benefit experience measured increases in employee retention and satisfaction. Employers that provide child care services as an amenity also see a decrease in absenteeism. Recognizing the significance of this effect on the American workforce has increased client emphasis on the design of early childhood learning facilities. Understanding the fundamentals of the critical role of child care facilities in a corporate environment is the reason Page has been successful in designing projects that meet the goals of the diverse group of stakeholders that typically make up a child care project team.

In 2014, Page began working with one the largest national provider of employer-sponsored child care and went on to complete a series of successful on-site corporate child care projects for Fortune 500 companies in the region. Page recognizes that what is essential in designing environments for children is the understanding that a child’s environment is part of the curriculum. While an adult can change their workspace to be more comfortable and productive, a child can’t and must live within the bounds that are created for them. Therefore, as architects at Page, our mission in envisioning and executing spaces for children is paramount. The environment must engage, activate, and connect with the curiosity of our littlest ones to lay the foundation for a bright future.

The team is led by Luisina Basilico, who has completed the design on award-winning child care facilities. She provides the design team with an expert understanding of typical early childhood learning curriculum, operational best practices, licensing requirements, and programmatic goals. The team uses proven strategies in working with all groups involved to achieve consensus while meeting institutional goals and visions in novel and interesting ways.