Owner: Auburn University

Location: Auburn, AL

The Early Learning Center is an accredited laboratory preschool that serves children and provides university students with the opportunity to teach and work with them under the direct supervision of the Head Teachers. 

This project provided new classrooms for the College of Human Sciences as they transitioned the center from a historic building in the center of campus to a new-to-them building that we comprehensively renovated.  The project, spanning over 5,500 sq f, included the construction of classrooms, offices, and observation rooms. These classrooms, a crucial part of the project, serve a dual purpose. They play a vital role in caring for the young children of Auburn faculty and staff while also serving as a lab for Auburn undergrad and graduate students to observe and learn about early childhood development.

The teaching philosophy of the facility is grounded in the concept of developmentally appropriate practice in which children "learn by doing" and are guided by a curriculum designed to capitalize upon knowledge of how young children learn. The facility also maintains a research mission to maximize opportunities to conduct developmental research on children and their families. Our design facilitates this philosophy by creating bright, welcoming spaces that give the child autonomy and flexibility in opportunities to learn and grow and provide research spaces for students & faculty.