NURTURY LEARNING LAB.
JAMAICA PLAIN, MA

As the second oldest early childhood education program in Massachusetts, Nurtury Learning Lab is also credited as the first early care and education center to be in a public housing development. Situated in the heart of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, formerly known as the Bromley-Heath development, in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, Nurtury is an innovative hub for community services and a model child development center.

A new LEED Gold Certified building and natural playground serves 145 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as an extensive STEM-influenced afterschool program designed for 52 children ranging from 5 to 8 years old. At 22,400 SF, the center includes classrooms, a discovery room, a greenhouse, outdoor natural play, and gardens.

A multi-purpose room used for gross motor skills and teaching opportunities doubles as a community space for movie nights, lectures, and other large-scale events. A residential-style kitchen in the front lobby serves as a teaching kitchen and welcomes visitors for cooking classes and other workshops even if they do not have a child enrolled. The outdoor play spaces provide nature-based play opportunities for the children living in a density urban area.

Services Provided

Architect-of-Record; full architectural services for programming, interior design, playground design, and LEED documentation.

*Project completed as studioMLA Architects prior to acquisition by Ashley McGraw Architects