UChicago Child Development Center – Stony Island

Instead of creating another place dominated by primary colors and synthetic play equipment, the Center offers children an opportunity to discover natural phenomena while being immersed in the natural world, discovering first principles first-hand. ⁠

Natural materials from the atmosphere (trees, plants, wood) or the earth (boulders, rocks, sand) dominate. Boulders, some weighing as much as 90,000 pounds, were imported from the glacial till of central Wisconsin to create boundaries, pathways, and age-appropriate climbing opportunities.⁠

At the heart of the building, an inviting glassy lobby provides a space for guests to enter, parents to converse, and families to drop off their children. Here, a captivating world unfolds before children’s eyes: the natural bark siding gracefully extends inside, inviting nature’s wonders through full-height windows that reveal the east play court adorned with boulders, trees, plants, and natural textures. ⁠

The design places the emphasis on the ground plane, as experienced from a child’s perspective. While the building protects the security and privacy of its students, it subverts the idea of a fortress. It blurs distinction between nature, play, and wonder, inviting the public to consider that nature, not just tall buildings, can be exuberant, too, in an urban setting.

If children learn what they live, they will not only learn from nature here, but they will learn to value it. This project insists that nature, play, and learning should be seamless during all four seasons.