Transforming Office Buildings to Daycare Facilities: A Comprehensive Approach
Transforming Office Buildings into Daycare Facilities: A Comprehensive Approach
Like many building types, Daycare Facilities can be built new from the ground up or can be renovations of existing buildings originally built for another use. Converting from another building type can be a challenge, but in many cases, it can be a cost-effective solution compared to building from scratch.
Over the past several years, we have found that converting former office buildings to daycares has become a common theme. Clearly, several factors that play into this trend are construction cost, weakness of the office space market and the increased trend of remote work that still requires focused time at a “home office.” Fortunately, this can mean a win/win for both the building owner and the daycare provider.
Repurposing existing office buildings into daycare facilities presents both challenges and opportunities. While these spaces typically feature multi-tenant layouts and limited exits, they also provide a solid building framework with spacious, open areas that are perfect for childcare. Their accessibility within the local community, manageable traffic patterns, and potential for sufficient outdoor play areas contribute positively to their transformation.
Key Considerations for Daycare Design
When reimagining office spaces as daycare facilities, safety and function are the top priority. Key design elements include ensuring that the new layout meets code requirements, accommodating age-appropriate spaces, and providing adequate staff areas that allow for smooth daily operations.
Layout Planning
The initial phase focuses on designing a layout according to programming requirements, which entails clearing out all current rooms to expose the fundamental structure of the building. We have found that often there are not a lot of walls left to save in order to get to an efficient, well-designed floor plan that meets the daycare program needs. We try to keep mechanical, electrical and water service rooms in place as much as possible, as relocating service entrances can have a significant impact on cost.
Code Study
A comprehensive code study is essential for ensuring the safety and health of the childcare users. These can be local adopted building codes, zoning ordinances, and state daycare licensing rules.
In a retrofit project, where the occupancy type changes, one major concern is egress efficiency and fire protection. Additionally, number of exits, corridor widths, stair locations, door hardware, elevator access and sprinkler system are critical elements that need to be thought through carefully from the earliest stages of design. Often, this means adding additional exit doors around the building exterior for each classroom and integrating those exit doors with secure playground access.
Daycare building codes and licensing standards are very particular about the size of classrooms, the ages of children in each classroom and the number of children allowed in each classroom, which then dictates the number and location of exit doors from each classroom. Depending on the building construction type and exiting options, a daycare can be designed as either an occupancy type Educational (E) or Institutional (I-4).
By closely collaborating with local building department officials from the initial design phase to final drawing reviews, we architects ensure that each project meets site-specific requirements.
Collaboration with Engineers
Working closely with civil, structural and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) engineers is essential for producing comprehensive construction drawings necessary for permits and construction. Each state, each locale is different, and we need to accommodate our design to meet those requirements. Because a daycare typically has more occupants than a corresponding office building, and the fact that each classroom ideally has its own thermal controls, the mechanical demands are more intense. It is usually not practical to reuse the existing mechanical system, and thus new mechanical systems need to be designed. Those mechanical units can be in rooms (which takes up valuable floor space), in the ceiling (if there is enough room above) or on the roof. Rooftop mechanical units are ideal but need to have structural reinforcement and often need to be screened per local zoning ordinances.
If a building does not have a sprinkler system (fire protection), it will most likely need to be installed, but depends on building area, height and number of stories. A sprinkler system solves many issues in terms of code compliance. It allows a greater number of occupants, longer travel distances, fewer exits, fewer fire rated walls, etc. Fire departments very much appreciate a fully sprinklered building!
Finally, close collaboration with civil engineers is required, as they are responsible for exterior grading, parking, site utilities and fencing. As secure exterior playground spaces are just as important for a functioning daycare, we must carefully design how children are directed from classrooms to play areas, how entries and exits are dealt with and how parking requirements are satisfied.
Bottom Line
We have converted many different building types to daycares, from medical offices to carpet stores to banks to churches. They all have their challenges, but with diligence, creativity and expertise, almost any building type can be converted into a daycare. Office buildings in particular, lend themselves to successful daycare conversions and provide opportunities to give new purpose to an older building.
Eric Pepa, AIA, NCARB and Yuge Liu, AIA, NCARB
