UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- College Planning & Management magazine has named the Child Care Center at Hort Woods on the Penn State University Park campus as the Grand Prize Winner in the higher education division of its annual Education Design Showcase.
Each year the Education Design Showcase panel of judges selects two Grand Prize winners: one from K‐12 categories and one from higher education categories. Honorable Mention and Project of Distinction designations are also awarded. All projects entered in the showcase are evaluated by a jury of architects and facility planners for excellence in design and functional planning directed toward meeting the needs of the education program.
-- The 2014 panel of judges had this to say about the Child Care Center at Hort Woods:
-- “This fine project brings the meaning of ‘playhouse’ to a new level.”
-- “The incorporation of natural elements inside and out of the facility produces a fine experience for kids in nature that rarely exists any more.”
-- “Much care is shown in this project. ”
-- “Members of the design team were strong advocates for developing this particular site to protect woodlands. This shows the role the design team plays in the delivery of a building: from the master plan to a child’s perspective, they delivered.”
-- “There is something about this building that is timeless.”
-- “There is an Arts & Crafts aesthetic to it. They stuck to their principles and didn’t take the easy way out.”
-- “A very nice project.”
Projects receiving these award-winning designations appeared in the April issue of School Planning & Management/College Planning & Management as well as on the EducationDesignShowcase.com website.