Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/site-planning-and-layout/5011924/
Assuming that you've chosen a superb location for your center (see "Favorable Locations for Child Care Centers," Child Care Information Exchange, September/October 1997), let's look at how best to plan and lay out the site. There are five issues at which we need to look:1. Siting the Building, Outdoor Play, and Service Areas
Our first general principle is that we would like to locate the child care or other early learning facility on the site so that it is visible to approaching vehicles and pedestrians, responds to climate and site, preserves natural features, helps to create favorable microclimates, and leaves favorable portions of the site available for outdoor play yards. For larger campus- or village-plan centers comprised of modules, pods, or houses, we'd also like to site the houses so each has a clear identity to children and parents coming to the center.
The correct siting of a center on its site can contribute to the friendly, approachable character of the building, can leave favorable portions of the site available for play yards, and can capture and contribute to the creation of favorable microclimates around the building. Very large campus-plan centers have special siting considerations; skillful siting can cluster several modules on one site ...