Nurturing Potential Through Design: Prioritizing Child-Centric Spaces in Early Care Facilities

At BuildUp Oregon, we believe each early care and education (ECE) facility is a small-scale model of the world we want to create. We see this approach as a blueprint for the future, crafted with care and compassion—and the conviction that every child deserves a solid foundation in their earliest years.

As such, when choosing to fund new projects, we prioritize facilities that utilize thoughtful design, integrate elements that foster healthy childhood development, maintain safety, and encourage inclusivity. In this article, we share how to implement some of these key design elements and why they are important in creating environments where children can thrive.

Though this is not a definitive guide, we hope this will help spark your imagination for designing child care facilities with intention, joy, and creativity.

Child-Centric Design Basics

Good ECE facility design is child-centered. This means creating spaces that are not only safe, but also stimulating and adaptable to the diverse needs of young learners. Some critical design elements include:

• Clear pathways for safe movement
• Bright and vibrant colors that engage and inspire
• Dynamic outdoor play areas that promote exploration and physical activity  

Spaces that incorporate these elements can support the development of gross motor skills like sitting, crawling, and walking, along with fine motor skills such as grasping and drawing.

Beyond physical growth and safety, basic child-centric design also fosters emotional, social, cognitive, and language development. These design elements may include:

• Social interaction zones to encourage collaborative play
• Quiet spaces for individual reflection
• Group areas to help children build relationships
• Dedicated reading areas to nurture cognitive growth and language development.  

To see real-world examples and dive deeper into these design elements, explore Section II of our Design and Development Guide for Child Care and Early Education.

Ensuring Safety and Accessibility

Safety is non-negotiable in ECE facilities. Focusing on designing an ECE facility that exceeds all regulatory requirements creates an environment where children can explore and learn with minimal risk. Some examples of design elements include:

• Secure entry and exit points to prevent unauthorized access
• Child-proofed interiors and outdoor spaces designed for safe play and exploration

Accessibility is another priority. Facilities must accommodate children with disabilities, which fosters a sense of belonging and equal opportunity for all. This reinforces the values of equity and inclusion in early education, and encourages all children to participate.

For more on safety and accessibility see the Pre-Design section of our Design and Development Guide for Child Care and Early Education.

Promoting Emotional and Social Well-Being

Caring for children's emotional well-being is just as vital as ensuring their physical safety. Thoughtful design balances quiet areas with communal ones so that children learn how to thrive both individually and as part of a broader community:

• Small, intimate spaces allow children to retreat, reflect, and decompress, offering a sense of personal safety and comfort.
• Larger, communal areas allow children to collaborate and build friendships, promoting social interaction and community building

Designing with empathy means understanding how children experience these spaces. Filling these areas with elements that comfort and inspire ensures they are warm and welcoming.

Fostering Cognitive and Physical Development

Designing for development involves creating spaces that can adapt to the evolving needs of growing children. This flexibility is crucial, as children’s interests and abilities change rapidly during early childhood. Here are some design strategies for fostering cognitive and physical development:

• A flexible learning environment allows educators to reconfigure spaces for different purposes, like setting up quiet corners for reading or expanding areas for active play.
• Incorporating varied textures and vibrant colors can stimulate cognitive development. Elements like soft rugs and tactile panels offer sensory experiences that promote exploration and learning. Designated physical activity zones, whether indoor gym areas or outdoor playgrounds, are essential for encouraging gross motor skill development.

Implementing these design elements creates an adaptable environment that nurtures children’s cognitive and physical growth and lays a solid foundation for their future learning journeys.

For additional insights, explore the “Why Does Space Matter?” section of the Making Space Matter report by the Rhode Island Child Care Facilities Fund and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

Incorporating Environmentally Sustainable Practices

Designing for the future of children means creating facilities that are environmentally sustainable for generations to come. Some ways to incorporate these practices are:

• Energy-efficient design, such as incorporating natural lighting that reduces energy consumption and promotes regulation of children’s sleep-wake cycles
• Environmentally friendly practices, such as incorporating energy-efficient heating and cooling systems
• Sustainable design that uses renewable and non-toxic materials

You can find more sustainability strategies on page eight of our Design and Development Guide. For additional insights into eco-friendly practices, including ways to incorporate green design into early childhood learning, check out LISC’s Greening Early Childhood Centers report.

Encouraging Community Integration

ECE facilities should be a vital part of the community and not isolated entities. By fostering strong partnerships within the community, these facilities can tap into a broader array of knowledge, skills, and resources, leading to a more enriched educational experience for children. This integration can be achieved by:

• Designing spaces that can host community events like parent workshops, community fairs, or open houses. This allows for families to engage directly with the facility and for the facility to then become a hub of local interaction.
• Creating visual and physical connections with the surrounding area—such as open gateways, communal playgrounds, or shared green spaces—helps to solidify community connection.

Such community-centric design nurtures a culture where ECE facilities and communities can grow together.

Making a Lasting Impact

BuildUp Oregon firmly believes that high-quality ECE facilities are much more than just buildings; they are environments where our children learn, grow, and begin to understand the world around them. As we continue to develop and support the construction of ECE facilities across Oregon, we remain committed to safety, inclusivity, and excellence in design.

To learn more about the ways we are helping developers and child care providers design child-centric facilities, visit our Resources page.

‍