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Emmanuel Family & Child Development Center

KANSAS CITY

Kansas City, Missouri | 30,000 SF | Master Plan/New Building

Opening in January 2020, the Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center is the second largest child-care provider in Kansas City. Serving 313 infants through 5 years-old and their families, the new center expanded two-fold from its previous size in order to meet the needs and demands of a much-underserved area of Kansas City. Embodying "‘Community Development’ in its best form, many hands and voices have support this project both financially and emotionally in order to overcome the typical development hurdles found in underserved communities. Inspired by this wave of support, the programming and design of the facility response by giving back to the community. Programmatically, the Center includes a subsidized health clinic to support the children and families of the center and a 1,200 SF community room with a dedicated entrance for community use during non-care hours. Architecturally, the building is conceived as an open and transparent volume organized around three outward-facing courtyards, simultaneously sharing the joyful activities of the children with community through transparency and providing a sense of security throughout the enveloping courtyards.