Smith Architects Ltd

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre

ST KENTIGERNS CHILDCARE CENTRE

Smith Architects

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

ARCHITECTS
Smith Architects

LEAD ARCHITECT
Phil Smith

ENGINEER
Markplan Consultants

LANDSCAPER
Natural Habitats

DESIGN TEAM
James Browning, Djordje Petkovic, Bhumika Mistry

CONSTRUCTION
Aspec Construction

INTERIORS, VISUALISATION RENDER & FLY THROUGH
Smith Architects

PLANNING
Civix

GEOTECH
KGA Geotechnical

PHOTOGRAPHER
Caroline Ducobu

AREA
666 m²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Auckland, New Zealand

CATEGORY
Day Care

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

English description provided by the architects.

The project brief was to craft a unique early childhood centre that would inspire children to develop confidence and humility through a sense of community.

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

A detailed site analysis looked at possible locations for the building within the school.

Access and car parking requirements indicated the optimal location, further reinforced by the extensive bush-lined outlook on three sides.

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

Studies looked at built form options, taking into account all the site constraints.

The main drivers of the form were retaining the mature trees and bush, protecting neighbours from direct playground noise, balancing ground contours, and solar access/shading.

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

Two options were narrowed down for further development, with the final circular form being chosen for its merits in answering the brief and the site constraints.

Whilst the initial form was largely driven by the site and programme, the development of the form into an architectural language looked at the history and culture of Saint Kentigern for inspiration.

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

The circular shape of the building was inspired by early Christian architecture – the most famous being the Church of the Holy Sepulchre featuring a rotunda called the Anastasis.

Furthermore, it symbolises one of the four miracles of Saint Kentigern: the ring found in the fish and the Celtic Cross of Saint Kentigern.

The scale and materiality of the design also take inspiration from early Christian architecture – being single-level, narrow width, and harnessing natural ventilation and daylighting.

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu

The structure features exposed timber beams and ceilings along with clerestory windows to capture the 'spirit' of the early churches.

Christian symbolism has then been carried through into the playground, where it has been split into quarters within the circular form, each quarter representing one of the four miracles of Saint Kentigern.

Equally, this further reinforces the shape of the Celtic Cross formed by the shape of the building. Building on this, four dry stream beds form a cross shape in the central playground (which also become water features for children's play), symbolising the four tributaries of the Garden of Eden that come together at the centre to present a standing cross.

St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
© Caroline Ducobu


St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
Grond Floor High-level WIndow
St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
Site Plan


St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
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St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
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St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
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St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
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St Kentigerns Childcare Centre
Elevation

Smith Architects Ltd
T +64 9 5222552
Smith Architects Ltd
15 Hargreaves Street, St Marys Bay, Auckland 1011, New Zealand