ABCD Daycare

Teaming up with Encore Boston Harbor and Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), Balance Architects designed a day care serving low-income families in Boston and the Lower Mystic Valley.

With the project located in a mixed-use development adjacent to Route 28, the design strives to create an environment rich in natural features. Columns located within classrooms, usually a detriment to the space, are re-imagined as tree trunks, with ceilings and light-fixtures radiating from the trunk like limbs and branches of a tree.

Ceilings that needed sound attenuation were colored a sky blue to further the natural design concept. Circular pendant light fixtures appear cloud-like. Flooring for the main corridor is treated with tile that looks like a series of stone pavers. Large exterior windows, with borrowed lights along the halls, create an environment in which every occupied space has a direct view to the outdoors.