La Mesa Childcare Center
U.S. Navy
Monterey, California

The La Mesa Child Development Center is located on a heavily wooded hill within the housing area of the Navy Post Graduate School in Monterey. This facility was designed by murakami/Nelson to accommodate 164 children ranging in age from six weeks to five years. While the building form responds to the local Monterey aesthetic with sloping roofs, large overhangs, and off-white cement plaster walls, it is the proportion of the building, the pattern and scale of the fenestration and the deep blue metal roof which signal that this structure has a different function from its neighbors.

The 13,900 sq. ft. building is organized around a central courtyard designed for passive or supervised play activities. This courtyard serves another important purpose. By eliminating the common double loaded corridor, it brings light into each caregiver room from two sides. The building is divided into four quadrants; the first three are devoted to caregiver rooms and the fourth contains administrative offices. Active play areas are situated around the outside of the building, with each area tailored to the age group it serves. Amenities include a full commercial kitchen and age-appropriate sinks, toilets, and activity areas. Throughout the design process, attention and care were paid to ensuring that the facility be both efficient and convenient for the staff and a light, intimate, fun environment for the children.