The Universal Design Process – Design team and consultation / participation with key stakeholders
It is very important to engage with key people such as staff, parents and children during the design process to ensure the design is in line with user requirements. All key stakeholders can be invited to contribute in a meaningful way to the design process to ensure their needs and preferences are incorporated into the design, delivery and management of the Early Learning and Care setting. Participatory design is important in terms of the design process and catering to the educational and care needs of children; supporting families, carers and staff; and reinforcing inclusive Early Learning and Care.
Small and medium scale projects
Small and medium scale projects associated with the lower levels of interventions, adaptations, or design described in the previous section may not require extensive consultation with key stakeholders or involve a design team. Minor building works such as signage or fitting new finishes or fixtures can often be completed with minimum disruption and may not require specialist input. However, in all cases key staff members should be consulted and the setting operator should seek professional advice if they are unsure about the implications of any changes to the building, particularly in relation to the health, safety and welfare of children and fire safety measures.
Larger scale projects
For large scale works such as extensive retrofit, structural modifications, building extensions or new-build projects, a design team will be necessary along with a more extensive stakeholder consultation process. Projects of this nature will require the preparation of detailed project brief to set out a vision and to define the key project requirements. Some of main components of this process are described below.
Design team
The design team will vary depending on the scale and complexity of each project. For example, a small setting considering a retrofit project will not involve the same design team as a large, green field project will. Among others the following building design professionals should be considered:
- Architects.
- Civil Structural Engineers.
- Mechanical and Electrical Engineers.
- Landscape Architects.
- Quantity Surveyors.
Key stakeholders
Depending on the circumstances of each project, the design team should consider engaging with key stakeholders, some of whom may include:
- Children within the setting.
- Parents, grandparents, siblings, and other family members.
- ELC staff.
- ELC’s ancillary staff.
- Owners and managers.
- Allied education and therapeutic professionals associated with the
setting such as speech and language therapists and occupational
therapists.
Depending on the extent of the work it may also be necessary to consult:
- TUSLA Early Years (Pre-School) Inspectorate.
- Local authority planning department.
- Fire officer.
- HSE Environmental Health Department.
- Relevant local community groups, for example, if there is going to be a community room or similar shared space.
The brief
Rather than seeing the brief as a final static document, it may be better to see the preparation of the brief as a participatory process that the client, design team, and key stakeholders go through to establish the vision and project requirements. In this regard, The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) recommends the following stages:
- Statement of need: the basic document, which defines the client’s objectives.
- Preliminary brief: considers financial resources, accommodation requirements, site availability, timescale and other factors likely to affect the project.
- Strategic brief: brings together the statement of need and the preliminary brief. It sets out the broad scope and purpose of the project and the key parameters of the preferred options including budget and programme.
- Design brief: the full statement of the client’s functional and operational requirements for the project. Following initial design work, the strategic brief is translated into the design brief.
For more information see:
Key elements for the client to consider when preparing the design brief from a universal design approach
- Set out a strong vision and values for the project: For example, you could call for a child-centred setting that reflects the local context, is well integrated into the community, and is universally designed. This will help to define what you want and inform the design team of your aspirations and priorities for the project.
- Outline how the building should relate to the local public realm and some overall site design requirements: How will the location of the building and proposed boundaries help to integrate the setting with the community? How will the site design provide a community and child-centred setting?
- Indicate the kind of layout that would support your vision: Depending on the vision set out for the project, will the setting cater to mixed ages or defined age groups? What does your ethos and curriculum demand of the building? Describe the kinds of spaces that might help fulfil this vision.
- Describe the overall qualities of the internal spaces: Will the interior of the building receive high levels of natural light? What kinds of materials and finishes do you believe are needed to achieve a stimulating yet calm environment for children? What colours would you like?
- Define the relationship between inside and outside: Is there to be free flowing movement between inside and outside? Will the children’s spaces have direct access and good views to the outside? Thinking about windows and doors, describe how this might work.
- Describe how you envisage the outside spaces: Is there to be one shared outdoor area or will there be separate areas for different age groups? What level of challenge and exploration should the outdoors provide? What kinds of spaces and objects do you think should be provided so that children can run, climb, hide, jump off things, or play with water, sand or mud? Would a covered outdoor space such as a veranda be useful?
Key elements for the client to consider in change of use, fit-out, or retrofit involving existing buildings projects
When looking at various sites and existing buildings for projects that involve a change of use (e.g. from a dwelling or office building to an ELC setting), the fit-out of an existing building shell and core, or a major retrofit, there are many things to think about. Issues such as the location of the site, public transport access, and parking will be part of the overall site feasibility. The key elements to be considered by the client when preparing the design brief, as outlined previously, will be important. When a project involves an existing building, the existing site and building conditions will require careful thought such as:
Internal floor area and circulation space: Will the building accommodate the floor space required as outlined in Table 1? Will the existing floor area provide comfortable, accessible entrance, circulation, and toilet areas?
Availability of outdoor space: Bearing in mind the guideline outdoor space area of 9m2 per child (this area is not required by regulation but best practice suggests that as generous space as possible be provided) as outlined in Table 1, does the site provide enough uninterrupted outdoor areas for children to run, play, and explore? Will the outdoor space be adjacent to and directly accessible to all internal children’s rooms?
Internal layout and structural walls: Will the layout of the existing building allow you to achieve the kinds of internal spaces you require? If not, is it possible to remove certain non-load bearing internal walls, or are there major structural implications?
Building services: Are the existing plumbing, ventilation and electrical services in locations that will serve the proposed spaces? Can the appropriate plumbing or ventilation services be supplied to areas in the building planned for toilets, milk kitchens, or nappy changing areas?
Children’s rooms on an upper floor: If children’s rooms are to be located on an existing upper floor, will the existing circulation and stairs comply with fire regulations? Will children on this upper floor have direct access to outdoor space in the form of a roof terrace, balcony or to ground level outdoor space via external stairs? If not, how will access to outdoor space be managed?
See page 317 for a Learning Story regarding an ELC operator who took over and redesigned an existing building to suit the needs of their new service.
