Swings + Roundabouts Spring 2021

San Francisco centre – loft and corner space What we really liked about this centre was that there was an obvious understanding of context. They didn’t need the piazza for much the same reason as described above, however the dining hall gave the opportunity for large group interaction at mealtimes and for bringing in the community at other times when it was used for holding functions. The use of glazing and planting was similar to Reggio centres but done only where totally needed as budget was limited. The art ateliers were absorbed into the rooms as the artistic exploration was accepted as part of the everyday life of the centre, not something that needed to be separated. And all of this was done on an extremely shoestring budget, using community help wherever possible, but the quality of the environment was as good as any brand-new Reggio centre I have seen. It should be remembered that the original Reggio philosophy was created by a small community in a tiny place that no-one had ever heard of, and the first centres were built by the community from the rubble of bombed out buildings from WWII. So clearly money is not a pre-requisite for creating a great Reggio inspired centre, but passion, community and strong principles should be there in large measures! Phil and Tiffany Smith, owners of Collingridge and Smith Architects (UK) Ltd (CASA) have specialised in designing world-class education architecture for over 20 years, both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. They believe in creating beautiful human spaces based on research that brings together architecture and evolutionary psychology. This is achieved through creativity, refinement, and care. They have been recognised for their achievements in sustainable early childhood architecture with their designs achieving many local and international awards for centres including Giraffes Early Learning Centre, Fantails Childcare; New Shoots Children's Centres, Three Trees Learning Centre, Campbells Bay Early Learning Centre, Chrysalis Early Learning Centre, Kristin’s Little Doves Early Learning, and Te Mirumiru Childhood Education Centre. Website: www.casa-uk.com September 2021 { 32 }