SAFE KIDS WORLDWIDE HQ

The new headquarters for non-profit organization Safe Kids Worldwide, located in the culturally rich and historically colorful Lower East Side. SKW is dedicated to preventing unintentional childhood injuries. To help spread awareness and understanding on ways to keep children safe, SKW has commissioned me to design their new headquarters. This space was designed as a playful and interactive space that allows for both fun and learning for children and parents on the different ways to be safe at home, school, and on the road, and ultimately bringing a stop to preventable injuries and deaths in children.

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A little background, this organization was founded by Dr. Eichelberger who is a pediatric surgeon, with the help of Herta Feely, a public relations professional, in 1988 in Washington DC. Dr. Eichelberger created this organization after noticing how many parents would come to him after an injury or death of their child, asking "was there anything we could have done to save my child?" And the answer was almost yes. Dr. Eichelberger wanted to help end these preventable injuries and deaths, and so this became the mission of SKW: helping prevent childhood injuries. Dr. Eichelberger found this could be done by educating both parents and children on different safety methods regarding things like traffic, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings, and so many more simple things that can be avoided or looked out for.

 

Designed in the Spring semester of my Sophomore year, we were assigned the task of designing a headquarters for a non-profit organization. I was given the choice between three different organizations and I decided to pick Safe Kids Worldwide as I had never designed a space catered to children before. Upon learning about this organization, I was inspired to create a space that helped making learning about safety fun and enjoyable for both children and adults. So the concept behind my design is a playful and interactive space with a familiar and nostalgic feeling, where familiar toys and games can be used to help create a fun and informative environment for learning. The use of landmarks throughout the space create meeting points to help get visitors engaged. 

 

This headquarters sits in its own block with a parking lot and patches of outdoor space bringing the building a nature feel. The façade of the building is wrapped in a curtain wall and a copper colored metal that is raised beyond the roof of the building to create a railing for the roof. This was done as way for the building to be more easily distinguishable by children, think "The shiny orange building!" The left wing has been painted white along with the roof and south wall of the main building to match the inside but also to provide for a greener space. When roofs are painted black, the inside of the building warms up more and therefore more energy is needed to cool it. Painting the building white allows for light to be reflected, and less energy is used. Key elements of the space include the use of elementary colors and shapes, white walls, polished concrete flooring, and wood detailing. Wallpaper is also used in several locations. The use of natural lighting is also really important in this design, shining through the numerous glass windows. These elements all come together to create a colorful, fun, and warm space.

 

Let's walk through the space together. The entrance is located on the main building on the right. Upon walking into the building, you will step into The Plaza, this is the reception area. Here, you can check in with The Plaza administrator and get information, brochures, and more. Employees also sign in with this employee as well. The Plaza is the first space guests can notice the use of colors and materials. White walls are used to bring balance amongst the various colors and patterns used. The reception desk also sits on a raised, yellow rubber flooring which represents the same flooring used in playgrounds. Also notice the use of both organic and geometric shapes that come together to make for a more playful space.

 

When in The Plaza, to your right is the grand staircase called Chutes and Ladders. This staircase connects the first floor to the second floor. This an area where parents and children can sit an reflect on what they learned during their visit as there is large sitting areas. The location of the stairs makes it easy for guest that will be leaving soon to ponder and reflect. Also, with its proximity to the windows, which is abundant here, the natural light can pour in and pass through the glass railings. Near Chutes and Ladders, there are two separate sitting areas. One near the reception desk and one underneath the stairs. Children can play under the sitars with the toys and rugs while parents wait.

 

Directly behind the reception desk are the elevators which go from the basement all the way to the rooftop. And near the elevators are the janitor's and electrical/telephone closets. These are found on all floors directly above one another. In these closed off areas, notice the design elements found on the walls, where corners have been rounded out, this is to symbolize safety, where there are no sharp corners for children to get hurt. This also creates a continuous space.

 

Continuing to the left of the main building is the left wing which houses The Playground, the exhbition space. Exhibits here can change periodically, focusing on learning and safety. Walls have been covered in colorful wall paper and corners have again been rounded out. In this wing is also the café called Snack-Time where both guests and employees can come to order food and drinks. There are many windows and skylights in this wing as well. Notice the skylights found in the corridor that connects the main building to the left wing. These have various shapes which were done as a nod to children toys where children have to align the block's shape with the matching hole. This creates not only a playful environment but also help bring plenty of light into this space. Another sitting area is found by a floor to ceiling glass wall in the exhbition space, where visitors can take pictures and enjoy the natural light. All displays in the exhibit are interactive and therefore children can learn hands on. Touch displays are also find on the back wall of the café and right in front of the restroom there is a discussion wall where visitors can put up notes and drawings

 

For those with questions or wishing to speak with a director, the Exhibition Director's Office is found on the left of the entrance. And directly left of their office is the Cubbie Space, or coat closet. Here, visitors can drop off their coats with the coat room staff. After walking through The Playground, we can visit The Fair, this is the exhibit's giftshop. This shop is also accessible when the main building is closed.

 

The restrooms found throughout the headquarters are all-inclusive restrooms, with private stalls that are fully closed to offer the visitor full privacy. There is also a wheelchair accessible restroom and a family restroom that has a smaller toilet for children and a changing station for babies. This too is wheelchair accessible. The restroom also has a communal sink area behind a partition, again offering visitors as much privacy as possible.

 

The ceiling design was kept mostly simple, with finished, white painted ceilings and white painted beams in the main building. Entering into the left wing, a wood baffle ceiling system was used to bring warmth in to the space. This ceiling system hangs below the finished ceiling and helps with the acoustics of the loud space. This same ceiling system is also found in the Safety Theatre. The center hallways that connects the main building to the left wing has a lowered ceiling at 9'-0"AFF with the geometrical shaped  and colorful skylights. The ceiling then comes back up to 12'-0" AFF in the left wing. The baffle system continue up to the walls of the restroom. Right outside the restroom, the ceiling has been painted red and green to go with the yellow wall and blue floor beneath it. The windows found on the south wall of the left wing include seven round colored windows. Lighting has been kept simple as well, with mostly globe pendants and recessed lighting being used. In key areas like the recpetion desk, the exhbition director's office, and in the café, chandeliers and grander pendants have been added.

 

Walking up the Chutes and Ladders staircase, or taking the elevators, we arrive on the second floor. Directly ahead of the staircase is the Safety Theatre. This is the grand lecture hall where guest lecturers can come in give lessons to both visitors and employees. This lecture hall has been designed as a comfortable and welcoming space with seating along the stairs in the hall. Aa a way to get children engaged, they can pick their own pillows to sit on which is found behind the stairs in the lecture hall. To accommodate for more than 25 people, this lecture hall is a double height space spanning from the second to the third floor. On the third floor, or second floor of the lecture hall, there is space available for those who are in a wheelchair or handicapped.

 

Outside the Safety Theatre is a landmark, which is found at the center of the 2nd floor space. This landmark is butterflies which represent being safe outside. Butterflies are beautiful creatures but they are delicate things, much like children. These butterflies wrap around the center column and goes from the floor to the ceiling. And near this landmark is another sitting area, also near the Chutes and Ladders. And behind this on the southwest corner is the Collaboration Station, a private conference room for employees. And of course, included on every floor is an all-inclusive restroom. Also note how from the upper floorplans, you can see how the skylights look from above.

 

Taking the elevators to the 3rd floor is the administration floor. Here is the Director's Office, Assistant to Director's Office, and the Membership Director's Office. On this floor is also the Safety Team which consists of six employees. Each administrator's office has colorful furniture to tie with the theme of the headquarters, and the assistant to the director has a partition wall instead of a full height wall and this was done to bring more light into the space. The Safety Team also has a small stockroom station, as opposed to a stock room. A station was created to again bring more light and allow the floor to be more open. We also have a continuation of the Safety Theatre as this is the double height space. And another landmark is found at the center of the floor again, with two seats as a place for parent s and children to meet and again discuss or relax.

 

The final floor is the 4th floor, and this is the more private area of the headquarters. Here is exists the Feely Library and Lounge, named after Herta Feely, one of the founders of SKW. The north end of the Feely Library and Lounge has the library area and plenty seating for private members. The lounge area is towards the south end. This library has glass walls to allow for light to pour into the space as well. And on the north side of the building is the Treehouse and this is a private living space for guests lectures. This area includes a kitchen, eating area, desk area for work, living space, a bedroom, ADA bathroom, and a closet area. At the center of the forth floor is another landmark, which is a geometric  display that children can touch and play with.