Location: Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA

Tacoma Community College’s Early Learning Center is an anchor for the northern end of the campus. This five-acre site creates an important entry point to the college campus and provides an all-new facility for toddlers, waddlers, and infants, as well as classrooms for the college students in the Early Learning Program.

Whimsical colored circular patterns in the entry sidewalk invite the preschoolers through the front door, through the foyer to the registration desk, and out into the outdoor play area. These elements are reflected in other outside features as well. Age-specific play environments are designed to provide variety, interest, and easily-managed age separation. Trike tracks, trellises, garden plots, a grassy knoll, and the riverstone water feature provide a dynamic and interactive play environment.

The project has received LEED gold status. The planting design features low-maintenance non-poisonous plant material incorporating native and drought-tolerant plants.