BACKGROUND

The Early Years Centre forms part of the facilities available on the new Glasgow Campus for Barclays Bank, providing a 120-child place creche and secure learning space. The Campus is situated on the south bank of the River Clyde within Tradeston which has a rich industrial past.

THE CONCEPT

Drawing inspiration from the area's rich shipping and industrial past, the development boasts bespoke details in its building forms, material selections, and landscape design, including structures, boundaries, and even street furniture. This creates a strong sense of place that resonates with the site's history.

Further echoing the theme of "flow," the development's landscape design references the historic flow of steamboats down the river, the Celtic goddess of the flowing River Clyde, "Colta," meaning "the washer or strongly flowing one," and the journey of development from babies to preschoolers. This concept is embodied in a permeable activity structure, encouraging seamless movement between spaces and fostering interaction across age groups within the play environment.

RESULTS

OOBE’s design for the public realm integrates the powerful architecture of the Creche building within the wider masterplan and creates attractive opportunities for the public and parents to meet and sit together within a planted environment. Within the external learning area the play pedagogy is imaginatively structured creating spaces for interactions and experiences for the babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.