Deinstitutionalizing Architecture for Children

The Stanford Arboretum Children's Center

Abstract

The Stanford Arboretum Children's Center was designed to mimic nature and to provide a home-like setting for 106 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The design was also informed by a scale intended to accommodate the child's perception of space. The building is organized around a nautilus shell spiral plan comprised of small modules with pitched roofs. Circulation spaces have a flat roof. The interior of the site is dominated by a courtyard around which the building and its playgrounds emanate.