Developing A Brief

As I have been carrying researching for some time now, I have been collecting ideas in my head as to how a design might work. I have identified areas a nursery needs from my research and also areas I am going to produce sketch ideas for in preparation for a set of concepts. I have already done some exploration of ideas earlier on in this module but I hope to find complete more sets of ideas and interests.
The nursery I am going to design needs to be sustainable as this is the underlying theme of my work. This means it needs to include sustainable materials, energy saving lights, toilets and water taps, limited windows which are double glazed, rainwater collection, edible garden and recycling facilities.

I am going to design rooms for different age groups, these age groups and number will be decided once I have a building I am working with each space needs to include eating space, messy space, learning (numeracy and literacy) space, crafts, quiet time and interactive screens depending on the age group using the room. Bright colours and patterns should be used but not overloaded which is something which is usually done in children’s nurseries. This is particularly important in rooms for babies.

The nursery building needs to be all on one level, so the building I am looking for needs to be. The security needs to be high.

Spaces which the nursery needs to have are

• An entrance where staff can monitor visitors/parents coming out of the nursery. It needs to be locked and a porch, entrance would be ideal.
• Cloakroom space- children need somewhere to store their belongings for the day. The cloakroom also needs to be at a high where the children can reach it to promote independence.
• Activity spaces- I will decide on the age range for these rooms and size of them once I have identified a building.
• Toilets/nappy changing facilities
• Sleeping area for babies or young children
• Storage facilities including space for buggies
• Staff/Admin offices
• Staff room
• Outdoor space
• Kitchen
• Recycling area

Finding A Building/Location

I want to use a building as a base for this project and throughout the research process I have remained aware of possibilities I could use. From research I have gathered I have defined some features that the building needs to have. Ideally the building would be on one level, this would allow easy access and prevent wasted space. Children need to have access to outdoor space at all times so it is important that children’s rooms are on the ground floor with access outside. A large outside space is required as this is such an important part of a nursery. The building must be able to be adapted to include sustainable features. It must be able to be split into rooms for different age groups and have enough space for everything listed in the Specification brief. The building must be secure, have the ability to have lowered windows/fittings etc so it is child friendly.