CHELSEA EARLY EDUCATION CENTER

EDUCATION

NEW YORK, NY

JANUARY 2018

65,000 SF

Through master-planning and programming, a clear priority arose for Avenues New York to create an Early Learning Center (ELC) for their Chelsea campus. This expansion is located within a new ten-story building on the same block as the existing facility. In expanding, the school capitalized on lessons learned from operation. Our mandate was to design the space to support the school’s unique approach to curriculum. Features were designed to engage the littlest learners and cater specifically to their needs. For example, locating restrooms directly adjacent to classrooms allowed school staff to save time previously spent accompanying ELC students.

Eleven of Eleven worked with Avenues to prototype the space most used by the students, the Early Learning classroom. The full-sized mock-up included prototype millwork, representation of the window-wall and unique hung ceiling. The interaction of the ELC faculty with the space and provided important feedback to refine the design. Pre-K and Kindergarten classes were then invited to use the space as a final evaluation. The observations made during their visit confirmed that design features were properly sized and tailored to student development.