Marygrove Early Education Center

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A beacon of education and a vibrant\nreminder of the ongoing efforts to revitalize Detroit, the Marygrove Early\nEducation Center is a state-of-the-art facility serving children up to age 5 from\nsurrounding neighborhoods. The center sits on Marygrove College\u2019s campus in the\ncity\u2019s Livernois-McNichols District, the first new building on campus in\ndecades. With its low-slung form and colorful exterior, it reflects the area\u2019s\nnewfound optimism and a pervasive spirit of new life and recovery. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The center is located just east of\nMarygrove\u2019s flagship building, a four-story Tudor gothic liberal arts building\noriginally constructed in 1927. The new building is both resonant of and\ndeferential to the surrounding campus structures, referring to the heft of\ntheir materials and Detroit\u2019s legacy of historic masonry structures. Clad in\nterra cotta, the center\u2019s facade is a progressive application of a traditional\nbuilding material. Interspersed colorful highlights, inspired by the celebrated\nquilts of Gee\u2019s Bend, Alabama, give the building a second layer of articulation\nthat reflects the energy of the children it serves and the diversity of its\ncommunity. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Spreading across the site, the center\u2019s\norganization forms a natural progression from the parking area at the north to\na grove of existing trees to the south, where a natural play area is situated.\nThe space between the grove and the building\u2019s southern edge contains a garden,\nirrigated with water collected on-site, where fresh vegetables are grown for student\nmeals."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Three courtyards support the center,\ndrawing in natural light and highlighting the students\u2019 journey from the\nbuilding\u2019s entrance to its classrooms. Resources for families and the broader\ncommunity of caregivers are adjacent to the entrance. An informal gathering\nspace for school performances, meetings, and other events sits at its core, alongside\nthe central courtyard."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Comfortable and highly functional\nclassrooms, designed through close collaborations with parents and teachers,\nrun along the outside edges of the building, ensuring access to ample daylight\nand opportunities for outdoor play. They are color-coded by age, feature\ndurable and sustainable materials, and boast views of the landscape. The\nclassroom strategies support the center\u2019s innovative curriculum in an area that\nhas previously suffered from poor educational options. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Since its completion,\nthe center has become an important part of the neighborhood\u2019s transformation,\nhelping it become a place where people want to live and stay. The early\nchildhood education center empowers the 150 children it serves to embrace their\nimaginations and learn through play and creativity. "]]]]}