Architype’s scheme for the national Neighbourhood Nursery competition jointly run by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) and the DFES, was commended by the judges. The building, sited in a disadvantaged area of Sheffield, included:

• A 40 place nursery for children aged 0 to 5 years

• An after school club

• Community café

• A suite of training facilities

The competition was seen by Architype as an opportunity to explore contemporary nursery design, with a dynamic mix of diverse spaces and scales.

The design challenges of creating a flexible space were addressed through an emphasis on partitions, screens, bespoke furniture and transitional spaces. The scheme also included a masterplan for reviving an existing but under used urban park.

www.cabe.org.uk