Lehman College’s Child Care Center was approached with two key objectives: minimize campus disruption during and after construction, and incorporate state-of-the-art sus­tainability features. A narrow yard between two large aca­demic buildings, the project site offered limited breath­ing room. In order to maximize efficiency, the Child Care Center was fabricated off site, and then set on campus within a single week.

The building features a combination of natural and mechan­ical devices to maintain comfort, integrate nature, and conserve energy. Its mechanical systems can be completely turned off in the temperate months when the building can rely on its passive ventilation system.

To further minimize the building’s footprint, we designed the Child Care Center with centralized internal circulation. This allows side-yard room for a new playground, accommodates foot traffic between the public street and a campus walkway, and creates accessible routes to the adja­cent buildings and campus areas. The increased side-yard dimensions provides maximum exposure to natural daylight in the new and existing buildings alike.