Sparkletots Large Preschool at Punggol departs from conventional childcare centre in Singapore which are enclosed and located under public housing blocks. What led to its unusual stand-alone design?

Matthew Yeo (MY): The government had recognised the
shortfall of childcare facilities, specifically in housing estates such as
Punggol and Sengkang. In order to rapidly create more places, it planned for the
development of mega childcare centres such as Sparkletots Large Preschool at
Punggol, which can hold up to 1,000 children.

In comparison, the typical void deck childcare centres have a capacity of approximately 100 or less. These spaces are often limited by the footprint of the residential blocks and their existing columns. Outdoor play spaces are usually shared with the public playgrounds and play areas adjacent to the centres. One aspect that resonated with us was the client’s vision for the centre to be connected to nature, with an emphasis on experiential learning and play outside the classrooms.

Ho Tzu Yin (HTY): Realising there was no comparable reference locally and overseas freed us to explore the potential of a mega childcare centre. We started by asking ourselves, what makes a great childcare centre? This project gave us the opportunity to create an ideal childhood educational space from scratch. The new centre would also benefit from the economies of scale by consolidating facilities and play spaces. The other main design driver was our understanding and interpretation of early childhood pedagogy gleaned from workshops with our client. We wanted to create classrooms and play spaces that would support the teaching methods of the educators.

How does your design address the safety and security of the students while providing a conducive learning environment?

HTY: The clear demarcation of zones was a key consideration. For a centre with 1,000 children, we expected high vehicular traffic during the morning peak hours. In fact, the circular geometry was our answer to ensuring a smooth traffic flow with minimal congestion. A circular driveway eliminates sharp turns and dead-end situations. Additionally, the entire perimeter serves as a drop-off and pick-up point.

Another major concern was the outbreak of diseases like the hand, foot and mouth disease. Our design had to be able to minimise cross-infections during an outbreak. This influenced the arrangement of the classrooms which we divided into sectors that can be accessed from different entry points. When needed, individual sectors can be closed-off without affecting the rest of the centre’s operation. In hindsight, this arrangement will continue to work well in the post-COVID era.

MY: We recognised that play spaces are particularly important for children and they would be spending a significant amount of time exploring them. A key planning consideration was to allow effective adult supervision and to promote interaction among the children.

As the centre’s 40 m diameter can be intimidating for young children, we designed the three-point bridge to reduce the scale and to create a central play area with varied cosy spaces. The bridge connects directly to each classroom sector, while below it are shared facilities such as the multi-purpose hall, culinary room, music/gym room and art room.

In what ways do the centre’s geometry and massive canopy roof support it?

HTY: We were in favour of simple geometrical shapes to create a recognisable building for children. The centre can be described as a triangular bridge in a circular building within a square plot.

At LAUD, we take a holistic view of sustainability in our projects. The large canopy over the central space creates a semi-outdoor environment that is comfortable to use under all weather conditions. We designed the space to have a constant breeze, even at the lower levels. The canopy was raised above the roof deck to allow hot air to rise and escape, while its translucent material lets in pleasant, diffused daylight. We also did studies of wind-driven rain and designed a secondary translucent canopy to funnel rain from the central opening. This ensures that the semi-outdoor spaces remain functional even during downpours.

We were also mindful of the residential blocks that overlook the centre. Its roof became an important element to screen off any mechanical and engineering systems installed on it while partially exposing the landscape and activity spaces. Overall, we wanted our massing to be simple, recognisable and a pleasant sight for the centre’s surrounding neighbours.

As one of the first mega childcare centres in Singapore, how did your team figure out what was required?

HTY: The consultants worked very closely with the client to understand their requirements and vision for the childcare centre. We were also well informed of early childhood pedagogies and how childcare educators think.

Unlike a primary school where most of the learning happens in the classroom, childcare education places more emphasis on experiential learning such as vestibular, tactile, proprioceptive, visual and auditory learning. In designing for children, we paid attention to how they relate to the study environment. For example, instead of simply labelling the classrooms with numbers or text, we used colours as they are easier for children to recognise. Along the corridor of the classrooms is a ring of colour based on the spectrum of the rainbow. Each classroom corresponds to a colour that is also expressed on the ceiling and classroom signage.

MY: We also wanted the signage to be interesting to the children, so we created visual markers of different animals. This is another example of us using design details — materials, colours, textures, and associative learning — to facilitate informal learning.

How has the preschool been received since it began operations in 2018?

HTY: Interestingly, the school principal has observed the children becoming more communicative and friendlier towards visitors as compared to those in other centres. She believes this is because the children feel more secure and confident in this environment. The principal also loves how she can easily monitor activities in the school due to its accessible circular arrangement. Similarly, many of her teachers enjoy coming to work every day as it is a pleasant and airy environment, and they can see that the kids are so happy there.