Employees at The Home Depot's Atlanta headquarters no longer have to worry about childcare and pre-school for their children. The home improvement giant engaged Niles Bolton Associates (NBA) to develop and design the Little Apron Academy, a 37,680 square-foot learning facility with 22 classrooms and multiple indoor and exterior playgrounds at their Store Support Center corporate campus in Smyrna, Georgia. Linked to the main office via an enclosed walkway, the childcare center can accommodate 326 preschool and school age children and includes: workshops, offices, resource and nursing rooms, commercial kitchen, storage, laundries and a conference space. Five separate exterior playgrounds, totaling 12,000 square-feet, offer age-appropriate fun for the various groups and include infant, toddler and 2-3 year old play areas, a preschool-age terrace, water "sprayground" and sport court.

The concept behind the playground spaces was to create the spirit of a child's backyard and to allow landforms to dominate the space, allowing a child's imagination to run free. The design is devoid of traditional play structures, and instead focuses on the use of land berms as spatial dividers. Musical instruments, gardening areas and project tables allow the spaces to be used as education spaces as well as recreational spaces. In turn, giving the children a richer learning environment and a more natural experience.

Through innovative and creative landscape architectural practices, the design team was able to create outdoor spaces that provide a dynamic and unique experience for children through the basic principles of "free play." Free play is unstructured, voluntary, child-initiated activity that allows children to develop their imaginations while exploring and experiencing the world around them. Experts say that this form of spontaneous play is naturally derived from a child's innate curiosity, love of discovery and enthusiasm. The project demonstrates the design team's capacity to successfully integrate program requirements and re-imagine existing visual, spatial, and ecological characteristics of the site. The resulting design weaves the structure and transparency, desired by parents and operating staff, with dynamic play elements that inspire kids to have fun and let their imaginations run free.

The centerpiece of the preschool playground is a large constructed wood fort, reminiscent of a kid's tree house. The fort is fully accessible and provides spaces for group activities. It is an extension of the indoor classrooms, allowing the teachers to utilize outdoor spaces for play and learning. Additional elements for this age group include a climbing wall, stage and interactive garden with water station.

Pops of vibrant color can be found throughout all play areas, connecting the separate zones through a cohesive design. The multi-purpose sport court is checkered with Home Depot's signature orange color. An adjustable goal allows the pre-school and school age children to play basketball while the ground pattern allows greater flexibility for four square and other games to be played.

As one of the largest employers in the metro area, The Home Depot is acting as a catalyst for promoting family benefits and educating young children. The center is open to all Home Depot employees in the metro area. By building their own center, the Home Depot has made a commitment to providing a benefit to its employees in an area that is in need of quality childcare. Having on-site, affordable, quality childcare cuts down commuting and creates a more efficient workplace. The success can be seen in the enrollment figures, which were close to capacity long before opening.

The Team
General Contractor: Skanska USA Building Inc.
Playground Contractor: Exterior Concepts, Inc.
Electrical Engineer: Conway & Owen
Civil Engineer: Eberly & Associates
Structural Engineer: PES Structural Engineers