New Early Childhood Development Facility
2107 South Hanna Street
Fort Wayne, Indiana
As part of the initiative to revitalize the neighborhood to the southeast of downtown Fort Wayne, a block at the corner of Hanna and Creighton Streets was redeveloped to provide new community facilities for the nearby residents. These facilities would be focused on the development and education of both young people and adults. Three new buildings were built on the block – a new branch of the Allen County Public Library, the Fort Wayne Urban League and Pontiac Youth Center offices, and a new Headstart facility.
The new Headstart building features two classroom wings that extend from a central core. The core includes a kitchen, restrooms, and staff offices. In addition, the focal point of the core is a large multipurpose room. The hallways in the wings receive natural light from above via large skylights. The hallways also feature large, diamond-shaped windows into the classrooms.
The space between the two classroom wings has been utilized as a playground area. Several of the classrooms have direct access to the playground. The features of the playground were designed to create a safe, fun environment in which the children could play. Expansive windows in both the classrooms and multipurpose room allow views into the playground.