Los Angeles County, Department of Public Works
Olive View UCLA Medical Center Day Care Facility
Sylmar, California
Project Status: Completed
Approximate Total Project Area: 6,000 sf
The Olive View UCLA Medical Center Day Care Facility is a central part of the County of Los Angeles’ efforts to rebuild following the recent devastating wildfires in Sylmar.
HHFA programmed and designed classrooms, as well as indoor and outdoor activity areas to accommodate nearly 100 infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and supporting staff. The new facility includes a reception area, staff room and office, laundry facilities, and a full kitchen, wrapped in a material palette sensitive to and reflecting the surrounding landscape. Outside, two playgrounds – one 4,000 sf area specifically designed for toddlers and another approximately half-acre area for preschool children ages 2 and up – are surrounded by native drought-tolerant planting. A colonnade canopy will provide shelter for outdoor activities adjacent to the playground areas, as well as reduce solar heat gain in the classrooms. Additional sustainable strategies include exceeding Title 24 Energy Efficiency requirements by at least 15% as part of the County of Los Angeles’s new Green Building Requirements, using passive solar design, installing cool-roofing materials, and maximizing natural light to reduce electrical loads. The Day Care Facility will be jointly operated by the County of Los Angeles and the Child Development Consortium of Los Angeles. It will also be licensed by the State of California and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.