Early Childhood Facility

Design

REALIZE the Possibilities. DESIGN Your Reality. INFLUENCE Your Life and Community

In July, Governor Pritzker announced $100M in grant funding was being made available as part of the Rebuild Illinois Plan for early childhood facilities. This funding will provide a great opportunity for not-for-profit organizations and pre-k-12 institutions to upgrade their physical infrastructure and provide students with a space where they can learn, grow, and thrive.

This brings up the question – what design details are required to be within an early childhood facility? A good architectural partner will ensure documents account for all building, Illinois Department of Health and any other state agency requirements, maximize space to achieve a functional and aesthetic facility, identify deferred maintenance / life safety projects and guide you through the design process to bring your vision into reality.

JP Architects, Ltd. has a robust history of designing early childhood facilities. Since 2019, JP Architects, Ltd. has designed nearly 30 facilities for early childhood education for Chicago Public Schools. Simply put, we know the intricacies of these spaces; including, properly sized casework, bathrooms that are both ADA compliant and easily accessible (usually placed within the space), storage space considerations, gathering / common space, meeting rooms, office space, sleeping rooms and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems, to name a few.

This type of grant funding doesn’t come around very often, and JP Architects, Ltd. wants your not-for-profit organization or pre-k-12 institution to have the knowledge base to take advantage of it. It’s important to note…there are specific forms, procedures, and rules that must be followed to obtain this grant funding and during design/construction. This includes identifying an estimated project budget (your architectural partner can help with this), as well as providing direction on the type of project this grant money is intended.

Grant funding may used on the following:

1)         Construction of an addition to or otherwise expanding an existing facility;

2)         New construction of a facility or renovations to an existing facility in order to create a new Early Childhood Center;

3)         Acquisition of a facility;

4)         Purchase or replacement of equipment;

5)         Safety improvements; and

6)         Classroom conversions.

You can learn more and explore how to apply here. But the bottom line…Get your architectural partner involved early so you can determine where your Early Childhood Facility could benefit from this once-in-a-lifetime funding opportunity. JP Architects, Ltd. stands ready to help you make your vision a reality.

Until next time,

Jose R. Pareja

President | JP Architects, Ltd. 

JP Architects, Ltd. is a full-service architecture firm specializing in restaurant design, public planning projects, and commercial architecture. We have a young and vibrant team led by leadership who is progressive in their management style. We serve Chicagoland and North & Central Illinois and are licensed in multiple States. We bring sound principles of design, creativity, innovation, resourcefulness, reliability, quality, and functional architecture and interior design to each project. At JP Architects, Ltd. we REALIZE. the Possibilities, DESIGN. Your Reality. & INFLUENCE. Your Life and Community.