Location: Centralia, WA

Square Feet: 16,900 SF

Project Keywords: Early Learning, Community Involvement, Education

Project Description:

KMB is currently designing The United Way of Lewis County, Early Learning Center (ELC), and the Discover! Children's Museum is located in downtown Centralia. The ELC will quickly become an easily accessible community resource, while also being an exemplification of Lewis County’s continued growth. Six classrooms at 800 square feet each will provide a well lit, well equipped, healthy, and safe learning environment that will give children practical skills that they can use in their home, via a Montessori approach to education. The ELC will also include a 3000 square foot partially covered playground, an 850 square foot multipurpose room, and a 700 square foot kitchen, to ensure that each child has their every need met. Covered walkways and a brick facade integrate seamlessly into the historic downtown, while its LEED Silver certification will set a new bar for both environmental and community stewardship.

The Discover! Children’s museum, situated next door to the ELC, will provide 2500 square feet of open exhibit space to engage children in hands on educational activities, as well as an enclosed 200 square foot music room, and a rentable 350 square foot multipurpose room.

Through close collaboration with community stakeholders, our design team has developed a concept that matches Lewis County’s present day needs, while giving a roadmap to the community’s future goals.