THE POCKET CHILD CARE CENTRE
2020 – St Lucia, Brisbane
‘The Pocket’ is a 148 place, three level childcare centre that our team progressed from initial concept design through to construction documentation. The high profile centre in St Lucia aimed to be a sought-after early education facility that also referenced the client’s previous childcare projects.
The brief for the proposal called for a ‘wow’ factor, with a vision to include an in-floor fish tank and a particular focus on the external playscape design – a prominent feature along the main building facade. With such a steep site, and a height restriction of two storeys, it meant the bulk of the building was constrained to the high end of the site, with large podium balconies extending from each level. Panels of glass were used intermittently to break up the repetition and reduce overall bulkiness of the pronounced balustrading. The line of the external building angled its way across the site and also varies in depth throughout to draw the eye past the more uniform fenced façade.
The sloping and prominent corner site presented numerous challenges that were required to be carefully considered. The design needed to be sensitive towards the adjacent residential neighbours, while also cementing its presence amongst the retail development opposite. With such limited floor space, strict height constraints, and steep site levels, the design necessitated an open basement carpark cut well into natural ground. It was paramount for the team be consistently co-ordinating with all sub-consultants to achieve the design intent of the initial concept.
Overall, the design for the centre was respectful to its context and provided generous internal and external play spaces for use by the children. Natural materials were used to reference the immediate surroundings and also reflect the heritage of the wider inner-city suburb.
PROJECT TEAM
James Hollanby, Josh Adams & Ali Dell’Annunziata
CONTRACTOR
ATG
CONSULTANTS
Civil Engineer – EDGE
Structural Engineer – EDGE
Electrical Engineer – Calibre
Mechanical Engineer – Calibre
Hydraulic Engineer – Calibre
Landscape Architect – The Landscape Group
