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Spaces. They influence every part of our lives – our health, wealth and happiness. Each week on the Spaces podcast, Sam Buckby shares the insights of leading building and design experts to help make our buildings smarter and create healthier and happier spaces.
In this week’s episode of Spaces, we welcome Director of Elements Childcare and Early Learning Centre, Pru Howard. Pru discusses the impact of design and space in the childcare industry as well as in her individual Early Learning Centres.
This week we will discuss sustainability and the importance of creating a homely environment to encourage learning and play.
We also discussed:
- -Pru’s reasons for wanting to start a business revolving around toddlers and her journey into early childhood education
- -The impact of human interaction and its importance to Pru’s business
- -How it is Pru encourages her staff members to use rescued resources and “reverse garbage spaces” to create different learning environments
- -Why in her centres, Pru keeps the doors between the indoors and outdoors open to help children feel comfortable to play
- -The challenges around heating and cooling the centres
- -Use of natural light and natural resources
- -The learnings Pru has faced when it comes to functionality vs aesthetic
- -The contrast AND similarities between the modern home and childcare centres
- -The importance of textures, colours and use of materials
- -Sustainability, re-using, fixing and recycling toys to extend their shelf life (Pru even has her very own ‘resource recuse officer’!)
- -Consumables are Pru’s biggest business expense – So we discuss sustainability and the balancing act with customer service, compliance and safety
- -How the variability between buildings, re-furbishing and the experience of practicality has impacted the design of the Elements Childcare Centres
- -Pru’s involvement in the design process and her experience of working with contractors and developers
- -The future of the childcare
- -Technology and its influence on the childcare industry
- -The social experience of a child attending childcare and how Space influences their experience
- -Pru’s ‘Lost In Space’ 5 question shootout
Enjoy this week’s Spaces episode with Pru Howard from Elements Childcare and Early Learning Centre
Links:
Elements Childcare and Early Learning Centre
Listen to the last Spaces Podcast here