Chesapeake Energy Campus
Oklahoma City, OK
Project Goals:
The client’s instructions were simple and clear – create a center for inspired early childhood learning and development for the kids of Chesapeake employees. In typical Chesapeake fashion, they wanted it to be the best – a safe place where parents and guardians could come any time to spend time with their kids and be part of their lives while at work. We set out to design the model childhood development center in the country, spending over a year doing a great deal of research. What Chesapeake has today is a fantastic center where kids are prepared for the next stages of education and parents and guardians are actively involved in all that goes on with the kids. To Chesapeake’s credit we had the opportunity to introduce art and architecture to children at an early age. For us, the architecture has been considered as a part of the learning experience.
Program Requirements:
A. Our plan shows 24 universal classrooms
B. We have 3 offices, 2 workstations, work room and 2 conference rooms
C. We have a commercial kitchen and service area
D. Our safe room/playroom is 3000 sq. ft.
E. We have 3 sick rooms with a private entrance.
F. Two lactation rooms
G. Each classroom has direct access to an outdoor play area and a large interior corridor for rainy days. Our outdoor space exceeds the requirement
Architectural Concept:
A. Presented on my knees to illustrate scale.
B. Universal room
C. Neighborhood school
D. Kid scale, color, discovery
E. My favorite detail is the small round skylights that spray circles of light on the walls and floor.
Exterior Concept
A. Goals
1. To create a visually exciting and fun place where kids want to be.
2. To create a kinetic “sculpture” for the East Campus.
3. To create a great kid place.
